"JUST US BOYS" Written by FRANK STANCATI Directed by CATHERINE LAMM The Fourth Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival - August 3, 2003 Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, NYC Review for StoneWall Society by ROBERT URBAN |
I was lucky to catch the final performance of this
charming & lively "little slice-of-life" play.
Although show time was at the ungodly hour of 11am, I found the
cast chipper, the house sold out, the audience wide-awake, and the
theater blessedly air-conditioned. This comedy-drama looks at the
lives and loves of five men sharing the chorus dressing room of a
new Broadway musical.
As theater denizens know, the male chorus dressing room is a cramped space where young gay & straight men share close quarters, and, (contrary to current U.S. military doctrine) come to no harm from the experience. In fact, all involved may actually benefit, learn & grow. It is a nexus of intense personal bonding created via the many pressures |
Cast of "Just Us Boys" |
involved in sharing a b'way musical show's run. It is a place where
many long-term friendships & relationships are forged. It
harbors both triumphs and tragedies... loves and hates.... Hey - it's
like.... LIFE!
Most of the story in JUST US BOYS unfolds while the chorus guys hurriedly
change clothes - either just before, just after, or just in between scenes of
the play they are in. There's always a "five minutes!"
call heard offstage to keep things moving. Thankfully, none of the
continuous gym-body-in-underwear exposure is gratuitous - in fact, the
effect of the constant taking-off/putting-on of clothes is symbolic of the
"naked" emotions being revealed and/or covered up in the
players' lives. Furthermore - the rushed backstage atmosphere
makes for a lot of great "Freudian-slips" (Including lots of fun tacky
ones!)
between the cast that also help reveal the underside of everyone's character.
Deep down in the dressing-room-womb/id of the playhouse, where there are no
secrets... where everyone shares in each others comedies & tragedies -
this "play within a play" progresses. The chorus boy/men work
thru the play's rehearsals, opening night and ultimate successful run.
They struggle thru numerous "gay" relationship/romance issues
& situations (and a few theatrical/professional ones) - e.g. - Is the new
guy gay or straight?... gay/straight friendships... Is my lover at home cheating
on me?... "coming out"... relationships between older and younger
men... "stage fright"... growing too old to be a
chorus boy... etc.
The above may sound superficial and/or stereotypical of gays, but they are
presented with refreshing down-to-earth believability, sincerity & humor.
This could only come about thru a successful collaboration & dynamic between
playwright, director & cast. No small achievement.
Regardless of the emotional roller-coaster ride JUST US BOYS puts both cast and
audience thru - it manages to take the noble theatrical route all the way to
it's finale - which is classic "The Show Must Go On!"
The colorful cast of archetypical chorus boys in JUST US BOYS is played by:
Emanuele Ancorini as Mike with James Blanchard as Anthony |
EMANUELE ANCORINI plays "Mike" - the handsome
young "swing" understudy who's new to theater, wracked with
stage-fright, and just emerging from the closet. Two daunting rites of
passage lay before him - one to a stage career and one
to come "out" sexually. Mr. Anchorini's characterization of a
man caught in the moment between straight & gay self-consciousness -
a study in both self-denial and innocence - was right on the money. JAMES BLANCHARD plays "Anthony" - the play's main-character/hero.... a dance-captain-of-a-certain age, who's loved and lost so many times he's afraid to take the plunge again... but risks taking a chance once more with newcomer "Mike". Mr. Blanchard offered a sensitive portrayal of a man faced with difficult emotional & professional crises. His scene where he breaks down and weeps over his own sense of romantic failure in life was most moving. |
JARROD CAFARO plays "Joey" - the play's "Eve Evil" (hey -
every chorus room has one!). Young, tart, twinky-clone-gay and ever-bragging
about his string of sugar-daddy-stage-door-johnnies, Joey provides much of the
play's comedic relief with his many grenade-tossed bon-mots (which he hurls
without mercy at all around him). It is a credit to Mr. Carofo's witty
& intelligent take on such a generic "gay" type stage-character
that we actually experience depth, humanity and inner-workings in what otherwise
might be just a typical "gay" role of one-liners.
ALEXANDER KOLTCHAK plays "Sam" - Ah... the chorus room's token
straight guy, the exceptional, well balanced, non-phobic hetero man who can
actually buddy-up and work with a roomful of gays. In a role that might
draw awkward
attention to itself if not played just right, Mr. Koltchak was a joy to behold -
his acting never forced or patronizing.
BRAD THOMPSON plays "Peter" - the oldest "boy" in the
chorus... a "professional" b'way gypsy type - and JUST US BOYS'
one-man-greek chorus of sorts. Part den-mother... part confidant... and
part therapist for the rest of the cast, the audience processes much of the play
thru Peter's world-weary, all-knowing, "been-there-done-that" persona.
Mr. Thompson was all that and more - bringing additional humor, vulnerability
and a welcome silliness & lightness to the part. He made Peter more
than just a shoulder to cry on.
MAC HARDCASTLE plays "Ray" - This talented character actor performs
dual roles in JUST US BOYS. Before the opening curtain he's a stuttering,
simpleton stage-hand, sweeping the stage and improvising small talk with the
audience as they are seated. But Mr. Hardcastle really shines as the
off-stage voice of the uber-queenie assistant stage manager, who calls out the
curtain-times and rehearsal schedules, etc., thru an intercom to the actors
onstage. This interesting invisible role is actually... dare I say it...
the "god" character of "JUST US BOYS". It is the
deus-ex-machina voice from which all onstage
action springs to life and follows. Mr. Hardcastle's crisp & lisping
voiceover characterization consistently produced the show's best laughs.
"JUST US BOYS" is part The Fourth Annual Midtown International Theatre
Festival (www.midtownfestival.org)
Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex
312 W. 36th St. New York City
July 14-August 3, 2003
Review for StoneWall Society |
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