Uptown Players presents the World Premiere of Silver Foxes

By James Berg and Stan Zimmerman

Directed by Michael Urie

Scenic Designer Kevin Brown

Lighting Designer Amanda West

Costume Designers Suzi Crawford and Breianna Barrington

Sound Designer Elena Martin

Properties Designer Jane Quentin

Hair and Makeup Designer Michael B Moore

Stage Manager Lexi Salmon

My thoughts on Silver Foxes or “Gay”zing into the Shady Pines years

Aging is not a subject most gay men like to dwell on. As a character in Silver Foxes points out, most of us do not have children or family to care for us as we age. It’s a time of uncertainty and, when that uncertainty is coupled with prejudice and bigotry, it’s twice as painful. This doesn’t sound like a great subject for comedy, but in the hands of veteran comedy writers James Berg and Stan Zimmerman and director Michael Urie, Silver Foxes has big laughs and big heart.

Chuck (B.J. Cleveland) and his former lover Benny (Robert San Juan) live in Chuck’s home which he is contemplating selling. Toby (Edson Montenegro) the cheerful, sassy twink boy toy of a lawyer friend of Chuck’s arrives not knowing that he has been dumped by his boyfriend. Benny and Chuck’s dear friend Cecil (Jon Morehouse) shows up having “escaped” from the retirement community where he is unhappy to have to pretend to be a straight man to fit in and is pursued by Trish (Leslie Marie Collins) an administrator who wants to force him to return. These are the complications with which the Silver Foxes must contend, and the results are both comical and moving.

Designer Kevin Brown has created the perfect “play”ground for the action of Silver Foxes. One can even enter the auditorium through the front door of Chuck’s house creating an immersive feel before the play even starts. The spacious bilevel, mid-century modern set replete with a sputnik light fixture and working refrigerator provides ample space for the story to unfold and Director Michael Urie takes full advantage of the area.

I’ve always believed that actors make the best directors and Michael Urie solidifies that belief. He’s not only skilled at stage movement but has an actor’s ear for comic timing and knows just how to let a scene play out for both laughter and pathos. The expertly paced, fluid direction allows the audience’s compassion for the characters to grow.

Of course, a director without a talented cast is lost. I thought I knew how talented many in this cast were from previous productions, but there were some big surprises for me.

Leslie Marie Collins, who I admired in Theatre Three’s Young Frankenstein and Uptown’s Fun Home, is the chameleon of Silver Foxes. I lost count of the number of characters she plays. She changes ages and genders skillfully making each character distinct and has some astonishingly quick costume changes.

Edson Montenegro makes the twink Toby endearingly ditzy and gives Silver Foxes a youthful shot in the arm. Maybe he’s not so ditzy as just young and out of sync with the references and expressions of the older gay men. Montenegro has so much stage energy and appeal that I found myself genuinely caring about his character.

Jon Morehouse is sensational as the on the run Cecil. Morehouse brings out the precariousness of Cecil’s situation and manages somehow to give the character both fragility and strength. Morehouse, upstage in Endora’s caftan, fills the auditorium with his personality and, although Morehouse’s Cecil is uncertain of his future, he has not lost his wit.

The real surprises of the evening for me were the Benny of Robert San Juan and the Chuck of B.J. Cleveland. In my five years in DFW, I have seen these two men in many productions, but never as they are here. Heretofore, I’ve thought of them as brilliant comic actors and of Cleveland as the consummate song and dance man. I’m not saying they are not funny here as well. They most certainly are. However, writers Berg and Zimmerman give the characters of Benny and Chuck a story arc that requires much more than getting laughs. These are characters with a history, and we see that history on their faces and in the gentle way they treat each other. San Juan and Cleveland give such beautifully understated, nuanced performances that you don’t realize they have grabbed your heart until the final scene. Bravo gentlemen.

Writing, directing, acting, and design all gel wonderfully in Silver Foxes. As the writers and director mentioned at the talk back after the performance I attended, Silver Foxes is still a work in progress, and they are continuing to fine tune the play. So, a good thing will keep getting better. I’d say don’t miss it, but your chances of being on 75 without traffic are probably better than finding a ticket.