Austrian playwright Arthur Schnitzler’s “La Ronde” focused on sexual encounters in nineteenth-century Vienna; it was a pornographic scandal. Joe DiPietro’s “Fucking Men” takes the same format, and moves it to the gay community with intriguing results.
It’s a meaningful look at the desire for connection and the work it takes to maintain it. The piece’s construction is a tad repetitive; emphasizing pull-out quotes from each scene wears a bit. And the final consolation that “you’ll meet someone else” offers precious little solace to a grieving lover. But the dialogue’s clever, the pacing is brisk and the guys are uniformly hot.
Standouts include Ryan Lanning as the “HIV-enhanced” playwright who pushes back when muscled by a closeted movie star, and Arthur Luis Soria as a street hustler who finds a dubious love. Both deliver the show’s sharpest lines with crackerjack timing. It’s perfect Pride Weekend fodder that should last beyond Pride. (Lisa Buscani)
Bailiwick Chicago at The Theater Building, 1225 W. Belmont, (773)327-5252, through August 29.
When Mad Men Ruled the Airwaves: A Review of "Good Night, Oscar" at the Goodman Theatre Doug Wright's brilliant new play, "Good Night, Oscar," in its hilarious and heartbreaking world-premiere production at the Goodman Theatre, is set in 1958. It's more than twenty years since Gershwin's tragic death at the age of thirty-seven, but his ghost still haunts Levant.
Complementary Opposites: A Preview of "Serenade" and "Of Mice and Men" by the Joffrey Ballet “Both [ballets] are trying to deal with a particular time: One by healing with the beauty of dance, the other by trying to create empathy for beaten-down humanity. Right now, we’re facing some of the same issues, such as huge migrations from the workplace. Steinbeck shone a light on his time, and I hope we’re able to do the same.”
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