The Boys in the Band
My thoughts on The Boys in the Band or…Happy? Birthday
There is no denying the power of Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking 1968 play The Boys in the Band. It was the first play to present the lives of gay men realistically, not as fey jesters or hopeless victims. Half a century later, Crowley’s play still amuses and disturbs.
The moment we enter the theater we are in the apartment of Michael, who is hosting a birthday party for his friend Harold. Kevin Brown’s set design is a gloriously realized upscale mid-century modern two-story apartment, colorful and tasteful. There’s even a spiral staircase. It would have been a dream apartment for a gay man in 1968. It’s the perfect place for Michael to serve “cracked crab” to his friends.
Suzi Cranford’s costumes that range from formal wear to polyester shirts and Michael B. Moore’s hair and makeup design bring late 60’s realism. Kyle Harris designed the lighting and Brian Christensen designed the sound.
Dennis Canright directs this play so skillfully that the action appears to happen in real time. It takes a sharp directorial eye to choreograph the movement of nine characters around a large set. And Canright’s is the best kind of direction. He makes what must have taken hours of thought and blocking look completely naturalistic.
The birthday party starts out lightheartedly with good-natured fun and even some lip-syncing with choreography. However, as the host Michael (Clayton Younkin in a bravura performance) starts to drink, the birthday party becomes a battle ground where the self-loathing Michael is armed with vicious jibes and searing observations about almost everyone in attendance. Only Harold (Ryan Maffei) has the ammunition to stand up to Michael and Maffei’s quiet, measured delivery brings extra power to his ammo. Harold is like a cat for most of the evening. He sits in silence, observing Michael’s actions until he knows just the right moment to return fire and Maffei is quite the assassin.
Donald (Caddo Lindsey) is Michael’s long-term romantic interest and a caring, compassionate friend to Michael. Although Donald has struggles of his own and is in therapy, he is probably the most “together” character and Lindsey projects an aura of kindness and strength giving Donald even more appeal. Donald also escapes most of Michael’s vitriol during the party.
Hank (Ian Mead Moore) and Larry (Nick Marchetti) are a couple who attend the party together. Hank is a “button downed” math teacher who has left his wife and children to live with Larry, an artist. Moore and Marchetti have a rapport that make them a convincing couple. They sit on the sofa, always close to each other. This easy affection makes them feel genuine. However, the characters have a major problem. Hank wants a monogamous relationship while Larry wants to continue to see other men. Both Moore and Marchetti have strong emotional scenes declaring their love for each other.
Emory (Ethan Rodriguez Mullins) is the stereotypically flamboyant gay man, always using the pronoun “she” for everyone and addressing them as “Mary.” Mullins brings energy to the evening as he bustles around Michael’s apartment and his Emory is lovable, sassy, and touching. Mullins gains our sympathy when he calls the dentist on whom he had a childhood crush in Michael’s cruel phone game.
Bernard (Quintin Jones, Jr.) is a young Black man who arrives bearing wine and books. The other characters like him and he is fun and witty. He seems to be especially fond of Emory and takes care of him when he is attacked. Jones gives Bernard both joy and vulnerability. When Michael forces him to make a call to his true love in the phone game, Bernard becomes devastated and inconsolable and Jones make’s Bernard’s pain so palpable we ache for him.
Cowboy (Noah Randall) is a beautiful young street hustler who is Emory’s birthday gift to Harold. Randall is terrific as the dense young man and gets many laughs. Cowboy is the most unscathed attendee at the party. Although Michael insults him, he is not intellectually equipped enough to realize he is being insulted. He’s made $20 for the evening. Cowboy has a great last line stating that he likes to show his clients “a little affection” as it makes him “feel less like a whore.”
The most problematic attendee at the party was not invited. After a tearful call to Michael for an unknown reason. his college friend at Georgetown, Alan (Seth Paden), who does not know Michael is gay. shows up at the party. He nervously interacts with the roomful of gay men, finding himself most at ease around Hank who is the most straight appearing of the group. Paden captures all the angst and ambiguity of the character and deftly takes him from rage to remorse to outrage. Alan’s climactic phone call near the end of Act II is a mini-master class in acting from Paden and Younkin. Alan is a character who leaves us with more questions than answers. Why does he stay at the party? Is he really as straight as he protests? And what was the tearful phone call about?
Uptown Players Boys in the Band is a searing look at 1968 gay life and its theme of self-hatred for being gay is still concerning today. Director Dennis Canright and his dynamite cast create one memorable scene after another. You owe it to yourself to spend an evening with these Boys.
