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Allen and I went to see Terrence McNally's play "Some Men" which
I have been wanting to see for over a year. It is, primarily a history of gay
life from 1922 to the present day.
In reality it is a cliche of gay characters and
scenes:
A hustler 'working' his way through college? Check.
Scenes with nude men? Check.
A drag queen? Check
A scene about AIDS? Check.
A scene regarding the Stonewall uprising? Check.
Same sex male marriage? Check.
Gay male parents? Check.
Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand? Check.
A bitchy alcoholic? Check.
Disco music and bathhouse episode? Check.
Rich man in the Hamptons with his chauffeur lover?
Check
A married man coming out of the closet? Check.
The couple with a love/hate relationship? Check.
Anonymous sex? Check?
Group therapy? Check.
Internet cruising? Check.
Clueless young gays of today looking upon gays of yesterday as
dinosaurs? Check
Just keep on going down the list and checking off the items you
would expect in a gay history play and, in all probability, it will be here
though violence against gays isn't mentioned.
The play is in 14 scenes, each scarcely long enough to get too
thoroughly into the subject approached and 8 actors play 46 different
characters. Some excel, some don't belong on any stage while most are just
adequate but this is a local production so you allow for less than
perfection.
This is mainly a play for those under 40 who aren't familiar
with gay life before AIDS and think of it as a horror while many men in their
60s, 70s and 80s will tell you while it wasn't as open back then it still was a lot
of fun for many.
Terrence McNally is one of Broadway's, and Off-Broadway's, most
successful playwriters with such plays as "The Ritz", "Master Class", "Frankie
and Johnny in the Clair de Lune", "Love! Valour! Compassion!"--the latter a much
more interesting portrait of a group of gay men--who has written plays, books
for musicals and various essays--all intriguing and informative.
"Some Men" is not one of his better efforts though there are
snappy one liners and references to deeper subjects. These are sketches more
than a linear story in depth and though you may briefly feel for someone you
aren't with them long enough to care about the outcome.
Did I, do I, have to hear "Over The Rainbow", "Ten Cents a
Dance" and/or "Love and Marriage" again?? No, not really.
what do I know?