RECOMMENDED
The discovery of a possible gay gene for male homosexuality and the ethics involved provide the dramatic fodder for Jonathan Tolins’s “The Twilight of the Golds.” In it, expectant parents Rob and Suzanne Gold discover—by means of a fictional genetic pregnancy exam—that their unborn child will most likely be gay like David, Suzanne’s brother. As enacted by Jeremy Hodges, David Gold’s charm and downright appeal renders Suzanne’s dilemma—to abort or not to abort—nonsensical: how could well-educated liberals like the Golds have a problem with this? The play offers little insight into the debate on eugenics and personal responsibility and the histrionics surrounding the family’s latent homophobia is typically dysfunctional. Nonetheless, “Twilight” does manage to entertain thanks to some deft writing and an originality of subject matter. At best, you’ll find it worthy of some spirited post-show chitchat and at worst you’ll have made a valuable contribution to Chicago’s Gerber/Hart library, the Midwest’s largest LGBT non-profit library to which the Brown Couch Theatre Company is graciously donating a portion of each ticket sale. (F.O. Almeida)
This production is now closed.