Mart Crowley's "The Boys in the Band" was far from typical fare in 1968. Premiering about a year before the anti-hate activism of Stonewall, his candidly dark comedy proved a pioneering and daring look at urban homosexual life at a time of on-going gay-bashing and prejudice. While detractors may find the play dated and its characters stereotypical, Zeitgeist Stage Company's powerfully affecting revival demonstrates that this Off-Broadway hit (which ran for more than 1,000 performances) still resonates as a poignant call for validation, respect and understanding.
Set in a handsome New York City duplex in the East Fifties, "The Boys in the Band" brings together a cross-section of gay friends-white and black, butch and effeminate, out and closeted-to celebrate birthday boy Harold and celebrate with food, liquor and dance. Depressed host Michael, who can turn mean when drinking, eventually resorts to the "N-word" with African-American Bernard, calls Harold a "hateful Jew" and quips that "if bored, we could sing 'Happy Birthday' to the tune of 'Hava Nagila.'" Later, Michael displays a bounty of attitude, asking Harold, "May I kiss the hems of your schmatta, Doctor Freud?" Apparent bigotry becomes a strange defense for this lapsed Roman Catholic's insecurity about being gay.
That insecurity is also tested by the unexpected entrance of Michael's college roommate Alan. Telling Michael that he has been attending a dinner party not far from his duplex, the purportedly straight lawyer urgently needs to tell him something but hesitates to speak in the presence of the partygoers. As tempers flare and tensions rise, playwright Crowley tellingly alludes to the devouring of Sebastian Venable in the Tennessee Williams drama "Suddenly Last Summer" and introduces an emotionally challenging game called "Affairs of the Heart" that bears affinity with the disturbing game-playing in the Edward Albee masterwork "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (Crowley specifically mentions Albee by name).
"Affairs of the Heart" calls on individual partygoers to make truthful telephone declarations of love. During this insidious game, effeminate extrovert Emory, reserved Bernard, wife-divorcing Hank and his promiscuous lover Larry make a variety of difficult revelations. Alan's own call-at the prodding of Michael, who suspects he is closeted-leads to a richly unexpected result. Not surprising but dramatically right and riveting is a taut near-closing confrontation between Michael and Harold, who truly proves his match as he sizes up the host's own emotional issues. Framing the comic and dramatic mix of this consistently absorbing play is a complex conversation between Michael and anxiety-fighting confidant Donald, one enriched by irony as well as striking sadness.
Zeitgeist artistic director David J. Miller captures all of "Boys in the Band"'s still-timely examination of human challenges and desires with a sterling ensemble cast. Victor Shopov finds all of Michael's vulnerability and profound loneliness as well as his addiction-like need to resort to sadistic manipulation of friends. His exchanges with Diego Buscaglia, smartly understated as wise if world-weary Donald, are as moving as his fiery face-off with Harold, played with terrific intensity by Ryan Landry. Landry makes the most of Harold's strikingly sharp tone-even as he speaks of seeing Donald-whom he dislikes-at Shavuoth (meaning not for a long time).
Equally amazing is Brooks Reeves' finely modulated performance as Alan. Reeves has the right complexity as conflicted Alan-whose attraction to straight-appearing Hank seems to counter his abusive attitude towards Emory. Bob Mussett captures Hank's tenderness with Larry as well as his sincere interest in Alan. Gene Dante, dashing in a velvet blazer-part of designer Tyler Kinney's vivid personality-complementing costumes, finds all of Larry's unabashed polyamorous posture. Mikey DiLoreto captures Emory's sensitivity as well as his flamboyance. Damon Singletary balances Bernard's diffidence and strength of feeling. Richard Wingert makes the most of Cowboy's innocence as a clueless 'present.'
Double threat Miller displays his trademark wizardry designing Michael's duplex in the Black Box. Look for such strong period elements as Life Magazine issues, film posters for "Reefer Madness" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," a Wonder Book encyclopedia set, Robert Goulet and opera vinyl, a variety of bedroom figurines and a full bar. As always, a Miller set raises the bar of possibility for the tightest confines.
At one point, Emory warns, "You don't have to be gay to be wanton." The same goes for appreciating Crowley's enduring play. Zeitgeist Stage artfully orchestrates "The Boys in the Bands"'s universal messages about self-worth and human caring.
If you like plays like"Educating Rita" that eviscerate academic pretension with lively dialogue and often hilariously satiric stretches , you will love Andrew Clarke's brief (85 minutes) but richly entertaining new effort "Academy Fight Song, " now in a blistering Centerstage world premiere at the Calderwood Pavilion. Taking shape around a monologue that the Emerson teacher based on a drunken lecture delivered by iconoclastic protagonist Jim Dixon in the seminal Kingsley Amis novel "Lucky Jim," this wise and witty play ranges from amusing insight about administrative games involving faculty contracts and tenure to cynical images of academics "hobnobbing with Ivy League lesbians" and rumors about supposedly straight male faculty engaging in a gay rendezvous and Dean Greer's unseen assistant Sylvia's sexual orientation.
Centastage artistic director Joe Antoun keeps the pacing tight and the tone properly edgy. Craig Mathers is commandingly conflicted as vulnerable lecturer Davis-whether verbally fencing with unsympathetic Dean Greer or manipulative former student Jonathan or trying to withstand ex-wife Liz's criticism. His fall down drunken talk-sublimely sad and funny simultaneously-is a standout. Richard Snee displays his trademark comic timing as Greer, and Tracy Oliveiro smartly understates Liz' attitude and insights. Tyler Catanella captures Jonathan's early apparent sincerity and his later vicious putdown of Davis, but he needs to make his character's transformation more persuasive through a more gradual transition. Designer Ryan Bates' striking set pieces deliver their own subtext about characters evolving fortunes as they are reconfigured.
At a time of many unreasonable upper echelon faculty salaries and seeming indifference at some highly endowed universities to exorbitant tuition costs, "Academy Fight Song" provides a desirably dissonant lesson about misplaced educational priorities.
The Boys in the Band, Zeitgeist Stage Company, Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, through October 3. 617-933-8600 or bostontheatrescene.com
Academy Fight Song, Centerstage, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, through September 25. 617-933-8600 or bostontheatrescene.com