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Cast:
Jim
Dudley**********Preacher Riley
Derrick
Buford*******Mark
Noah
Levine*********Andrew
Dwayne C.
Tuttle ****Benny
Javier
Rivera********T.J.
Sally Bondi**********Mom
Harriet
Bensman****Odette
Mark
Kasper********Peanut
Director:
David Goldyn |
 |
 My
roommate is a wise and insightful delight. Yes, for those who do not
know, she is a local celebrity/Female Impersonator. Highly perceptive
she is, and witty. One thing that stands out most, out of all of her
sayings is, “A gay bar is like gay church. “ She’ll go on to explain
all the similarities, that, before meeting her, you would never have put
together. Kind of like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup—who would have
thought? Well, if you think about it, the church not unlike gay bars is
where you go to both see and be seen and fellowship with other
likeminded individuals—other people who are like you. Drinking is
similar to Communion and there’s always someone in the corner on
some soapbox preaching about the evils of society. You will come
across: angels and demons, people there only to see who else showed up,
and of course—the people that know everything about everybody.
Gee, sounds like my church back home in New York. The sins are still
the same: Vanity, Greed, Gluttony, and coveting thy neighbor’s ass is a
big one—but I think they were talking about mules. Well, what better
place to hold a gay play about religion and coming out than in a gay
bar?
Now, let me preface first that, if you have seen, quoted, and/or
reenacted any scene from “Sordid Lives”—then this is the play for
you. Were you addicted to and still catch every rerun of “Queer
As Folk”? Do you or do you know of anyone that has/had issues with
being homosexual and religious strongholds? Did you ever have your
heart trampled on by someone who afterwards calls you names and then
won’t talk to you? Ever call or be called a Sinner? Told you’re going
to hell? Do you know anyone that hides behind the Word Of God yet can
name every Madonna song? Then this is the play for you. And, as in
church and gay bars alike, “This is where we learn to hate ourselves.”
The play starts out around 1979 in a bible thumping town in the middle
of Texas at the Calvary Baptist Church and centers around the lives of
four young boys, their preacher, Mothers, and what God thinks of
them—according to what they are told. They all deal with their
homosexuality in different ways and strikes a cord with everyone in the
theatre.
First and foremost, let me just say that they have turned the back room
of Boom into a believable: church, nightclub, bedroom, and dressing
room. With no set changes, the verbal cues and actions made by the
actors make you focus on what is being said—not what is being shown. Do
you need a star on a door for you to know that when Iona Traylor is in
her dressing room de-dragging and turning back into Benny? Can’t a
table with a floor length table skirt be used as a: bed, altar, as well
as a Go-Go boy dancing cube? There are not many props, everything is
reused and given multiple purposes, all so that you can focus on the
dialogue and acting. The side curtains are crucial to actor movement
and used quite frequently with little or not strain on the actors.
Secondly, the lighting is a crucial cog in this work. When someone is
onstage and not in church, the church thereby does not need to be
illuminated and then you can focus your imagination on to where the
actors are. Also, with simple lighting changes, the altar becomes the
backdrop for a hot nightclub. All this, is left up to you.
The first half of this play deals with the character introduction and
development, experiences, teachings, beliefs, and of course, the trials
and tribulations of trying to please everyone. It starts out in the
Calvary
Baptist
Church, a real Bible Thumping place with a Fire & Brimstone preacher
telling about the Word of Jesus. All of a sudden, one of the
characters, Mark [Derrick Buford], gets up and starts talking. Everyone
freezes—mid speaking, moving…everything. There are several moments like
that in this play so that you focus on what the character is saying.
Mark explains what is happening, who the people are, what their
strengths and weaknesses are, and sticks up for himself…even though it
falls on deaf ears. I never understood the concept of being saved,
but Andrew [Noah Levine] decides that is what is best for him, even at
age 10—the Age of Accountability. There is a short story that is
repeated throughout the play, in the freeze-frames, during really
stressful and hopeless moments, and Marks says “Sometimes I close my
eyes and create a world so perfect—but then I have to wake up.” Haven’t
we all felt that way sometimes?
One of the best things about this play, being the fact that it is
written by Del Shore—who wrote “Sordid Lives”, is that, even in the
midst of terrible and horrific angst and pain, there will always be some
light of comedy—thus, reminding us to laugh. Once again, the scene is
in the South, Bible Belting territory, and, with the help of deep
drawls, the comedy aspect is brought to life. We laugh at them—but also
ourselves. Comic relief is brought to us through the characters of
Benny [Dwayne C. Tuttle], Odette [Harriet Bensman], and Peanut [Mark
Kasper]. Peanut and Odette meet at the Rose Room Disco Bar (right off
the stage and actually uses the bar) and become closer than any other
two people in that world. Both are gin soaked and have secrets, some
that come out, and some that you have to figure out on your own. “If my
bed could talk it wouldn’t shut up!” They both have had their sordid
pasts, but keep drinking to the future. Their characters remind you
that it’s ok to laugh.
 There
are four main characters: Mark [Derrick Buford]—the narrator and
torchholder for his childhood object of lust T.J., Benny [Dwayne C.
Tuttle] the aspiring Drag Queen Iona Traylor is very flamboyant yet
sometimes shows his true emotions. Then there’s T.J.[Javier
Rivera], whose mother died and is left to defend himself with a
militant father, and of course, Andrew [Noah Levine]—the Saved
One. He becomes the embodiment of The Perfect Christian, in
theory. While T.J. can spout out any and all relevant bible verses and
Mark spewing rebuttals back, Andrew slips under the radar. So far that
he later ends up frequenting many gay bars and going offstage with a
Go-Go boy.
Every character has moments of extreme strengths and weaknesses. For the
Benny [Dwayne C. Tuttle] character, he seems the strongest while in
drag—as Iona Traylor. It’s like armor to him and I have known many
Queens that are like that. However, you see his true vulnerability when he’s
confronted about his hiding behind the drag and that he is no better
than the rest of them. Odette [Harriet Bensman], as drunk and forward
as she is has her own deep dark secret that comes full circle. Peanut
[Mark Kasper], as loud, Queeny, and obnoxious as his counter-part
Brother Boy, confesses that he thinks he’s old and worthless and pays
for sex for the pain of rejection is too great. T.J.[Javier Rivera],
after messing around with Mark—repeatedly, decides to dedicate his life
to the church and, with so much anger and hatred, commits to memory
every hateful and mean spirited quote denouncing homosexuality. You
can hear T.J.’s anger and frustration and even though what he says is
homophobic, you know he wants desperately to be gay. Mark says the
best line, in hindsight, “I wish I could have been the me I am today.”
This play, for all it’s bipolar ups and down of dramatic scenes and
lines, there are some seriously hysterical moments that make you laugh
soo hard you will either chuckle or almost pee your pants. There is a
scene where the boys are at something like Vacation Bible School, all
wearing “RA” shirts, you will notice, Benny’s has glitter. There’s also
the moment when equation adds up that if Mark gets baptized with T.J.,
they can have a sleep over. The look on Mark’s face is priceless. When
Iona is de-dragging, he asks someone in the audience to help her
disrobe. Andrew has a moment in the second act where he talks about
masturbating to the guys from “St. Elmo’s Fire” vice the girls….as hard
as he tried, but always went back to the guys, “…but never Judd
Nelson.” Mark confesses to being brought up to love both Jesus and
Elvis, and, now, falls for guys with one or both of their traits.
Peanut tells Odette that his “whole family is white trash—I’m the only
one that rose above it.” Finally, Preacher Riley [Jim Dudley] talking
about how Pagan rituals gets on his nerves, “Would you see Mary and the
Disciples coloring Easter Eggs? Were there elves in the manger?”
Throughout this play, you will hear some serious religious phrases and
terms. I’ve never heard of “the fiery pits of hell”, that there will be
a “gnashing of teeth”, that Pagan rituals are evil, but, you will hear
verses being thrown back and forth and can cause Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder for some that have survived religious abuse from such churches
and experiences. If you’ve heard the phrases, “we need to kneel and
pray on this” and “God’s will” sounds familiar, this play is for you.
This play comes to an excellent and yet very dramatic conclusion in
2000, where all the characters have matured and reach into their chests
and rip out their hearts. Peanut confronts Andrew outside of the Rose
Room, on the street, and tells him to “take a good look at yourself and
don’t end up like me. Learn to love yourself.” Look for the intense
scene where Andrew asks God “Why can’t you take this away? Why not love
me too?”
 This
play, for all of its ups and downs is one of the most amazing and heart
wrenching things I’ve seen in a long time. If you didn’t have a hard
time coming to terms with being gay, if you didn’t have a strict
religious background (for me I substituted being in the Navy), if you
didn’t have any of these experiences then you must know someone that
has. For me, it’s my roommate. Do whatever you have to do. Tickets
are on sale at Gay Mart, Georgie’s Alibi, or any cast member. Let me
just tell you, seats go fast, get there early, and your ticket and
playbill is a church fan. Also, after the show, at Alibi, present your
fan and get a free drink!
This play is so poignant about the fact that there are so many
misconceptions out there about what it is like to be gay, what it means
to Christians, and how little things can be blown up to Code Red
Status. For years I have heard the stories of ex-Super Christians (as I
call them), how their lives revolved around the never-ending cycle of
praising the Lord, Bible Study, Youth Ministries, and basically how they
were to really and truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Saviour. Growing up Protestant, Dutch Reformed to be exact, was quite
boring, middle American—unlike the Lutherans, Episcopalians, and the
almighty Catholics. Even though my church was boring I would try to
make the best of things. I’ll never forget the day that the Choir
Director found out that I was in High School Choir and asked me to join
the Church Choir. I did it for the visibility, the ability to sit away
from my family up in the Choir Loft, and, secondly—the robes! Oh, they
had just gotten new robes a year before I joined. I truly felt
spiritual. I literally never felt that way again, until I was dancing
on a box in a nightclub—eyes watching me, wishing they could be me. I
was in heaven.
If there is anything you can take away from this play it would be that
“Love comes from God” and that “God is love.” |
