Ask playwright Philip Dawkins what his new play, The Homosexuals, is about, and you'll get the basic answer: "A bunch of homosexuals."
Now in its world-premiere run by About Face Theatre in the Victory Gardens Richard C. Christiansen Theater, The Homosexuals isn't supposed to represent an entire group of people according to Dawkins.
"I think it would be pretty arrogant for me to speak for all homosexuals," Dawkins said about his play's all-encompassing title. "I would argue that it's something like The Outsiders. That can mean a lot of things but The Outsiders is brilliantly written about a specific group of people and I never question for a moment whether S. E. Hinton is talking about everyone who feels on the outside fringe of things."
The Homosexuals focuses on the character of Evan, played by Patrick Andrews, who arrives in a big Midwestern city and the group of friends he encounters over the course of a decade. But in an interesting twist, Dawkins has structured this play so that the plot's chronology goes in reverse like Harold Pinter's Betrayal and the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along.
"We meet our hero when he's 30 and then we meet him five other times going backwards in time two years each time," Dawkins said. "It's through him that we meet his circle of friends he meets in the city and then we get to meet him meeting those friends for the first time."
Also, since the drama is largely about gay men in a big city, there is a fair amount of coupling involved.
"I was in exploring friendship through the lens of sex and what that means," Dawkins said. "And so each of these friends who Evan engages with either push him or challenge him or help him or hinder him and it's either directly or tangentially motivated by sex."
As an About Face Theatre Artistic Associate, Dawkins is super pleased to have The Homosexuals premiere upstairs at Victory Gardens' Biograph Theater during Pride Month.
"I really love the intimacy of the space, and even in the back row I feel close to the action," Dawkins said. "During previews, I tried to sit in all the seats that I thought would be the worst and it's still so great."
"I happen to be a proud homosexual and our cast happens to be filled with proud homosexuals," Dawkins said. "That wasn't intentional but then we looked at our cast and went, 'Oh my gosh, look at all these fabulous homosexuals in 'The Homosexuals.' It's been fun to have this fabulous gay party. What is not Pride other than a fun gay party?"
Lest women feel left out of the fun, Dawkins is quick to point out that his play has a heterosexual female character and that the world-premiere production is directed by About Face Theatre artistic director Bonnie Metzgar.
"I think women's voices are definitely represented in this play and the women who I've had like my friends and cohorts and peers who have come to see it do not feel excluded," Dawkins said. "I mean, it's about friends who have sex. I think most women I know can understand friendship and sex."
The Homosexuals continues its run at the Victory Gardens Richard C. Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln, through July 24. ( A review of the play will appear in next week's issue of Windy City Times. ) . Tickets are $28. Call 773-871-3000 or visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com for more information.
Go 'Into the Woods'
As many educators know, several Broadway musicals available for production in schools also have "Junior" versions that have been cut down or cleaned up for elementary-age audiences.
If you've ever been curious to compare and contrast how the original and junior versions diverge, then don't miss The Guerilla Project's take on the 1987 award-winning Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine fairytale musical Into the Woods.
Planned as a fundraiser for the Catherine Cook School Performing Arts Program, audiences can see the full-length version of the musical at 7:30 p.m. June 24 and 25, while the Junior version is presented at 2 p.m. June 24. Performances are at The Catherine Cook School, 226 W. Shiller. Tickets for the full-fledged show are $20, while the Junior version are $15 for adults and $10 for kids. Visit www.catherinecookschool.org/intothewoods for more information.
Navy Pier delays and an extension
If your summer theater plans included visits to Navy Pier, you're in for some delays.
The Pepsi Skyline Stage presentation of Cirque Shanghai Extreme has been delayed due to bad weather affecting the progress of the venue's roof renovations. The production is now set to officially open Wed., June 29, and run through Sept. 5. Call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com/shanghai for more information.
Visa issues have delayed Chicago Shakespeare Theater's World's Stage presentation of One Thousand and One Nights. Ticket holders for the canceled performances may request a full refund or hold their tickets "on account" for a rescheduled engagement.
However, on the bright side for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, its production of Murder for Two has been extended through July 31. Visit www.chicagoshakes.com for more information.
