It’s been thirty years since AIDS was first mentioned in the media. And while the AIDS-related bigotry detailed in Terrence McNally‘s 1991 script seems almost quaint today, the rest of the piece’s themes continue to stand the test of time: adultery, mortality and the biggie—the waxing, waning nature of love.
Sally (Jill Connolly) and Sam (Christopher Marcum) spend Fourth of July weekend with his sister Chloe (Jeanne T. Arrigo) and husband John (John Arthur Lewis) at the Fire Island house inherited from Sally’s brother, a recent AIDS casualty. All four are uncomfortable in the pervasively gay environment, trapped between dueling opera and Judy broadcasts.
Seth Remington’s deck set and Rachel Sypniewski’s costume design capture the summer season. Unfortunately, Remington’s direction doesn’t master the script’s tonal changes and transitions. Equally, the ensemble doesn’t get a good grasp on the emotions in play here: the neediness, anger and the omnipresent fear. (Lisa Buscani)
Remarcable Productions at the Viaduct Theater, 3111 North Western, (773)296-6024. Through July 2.
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It’s been thirty years since AIDS was first mentioned in the media. And while the AIDS-related bigotry detailed in Terrence McNally‘s 1991 script seems almost quaint today, the rest of the piece’s themes continue to stand the test of time: adultery, mortality and the biggie—the waxing, waning nature of love.
