'#Queers' A #success

With the tagline “we’re born, and the rest is just one big, bad fuck,” one would expect “#Queers,” a new student-written production that ran through Sunday in the Adams Pool Theatre, to push boundaries. The show certainly lived up to its slogan—almost to excess—with provocative humor, direct discussion of sex, exploration of queer relationships, and a scene set in a sex club. “#Queers” consisted of two one-acts, the first being much shorter and weaker than the second, although both maintained a bold and impressive sense of self. Buoyed by strong performances throughout, the play successfully exuded a charm that buzzed with near fearless energy, entertaining as iy simultaneously prompted the audience to explore blurred boundaries of sexuality, love, and relationships.

The first act, “Don’t Say Gay,” was limited to just one scene and depicted the interaction between talk show host Phyllis (Mariah T. Browne ’15), her guest, Researcher Dan (Gus A. Mayopoulos ’15), and the audience. The characters were clearly supposed to be caricatures, presenting overblown and false beliefs about homosexuality, and were mostly played to great effect. Occasionally, though, the pretense stretched a little too far, as the over-the-top mannerisms became distracting and the jokes slightly too far-fetched. When in motion, the visceral energy of the actors—including a condom-throwing episode that took place in the audience—made the ridiculousness enjoyable. Only when the characters were confined to their chairs did the gestures and affectations detract from the content of their lines.

Much of the credit for the humor in “#Queers” is owed to Michael Shayan ’14, who wrote and directed the show. In the second act, “Kisses,” a much longer and more complex exploration of characters and their emotions, Shayan successfully combines the humor evident in the first act with more substantial material. The act focused on a love triangle between Shawn (Michael S. Gellman ’17), his best friend and object of affection, Matt (Alexander M. Willis ’14), and Matt’s girlfriend Lindsay (Karoline K. Xu ’16). Critically, the script incorporates a significant portion of each character’s backstory into the dramatic present, which serves to make the characters both more believable and understandable in their actions. Shayan’s choice to employ extended monologues taut with both hilarity and personal trauma proves incredibly effective in fleshing out the characters and remaining engaging. These minutes-long soliloquies successfully and authentically displayed the wide range of emotions inherent in relationships and allowed the talented actors to shine uninhibited.

Gellman especially excelled in this regard. His portrayal of Shawn was at times hilarious and heartbreaking as the character oscillated from nonchalance to deep emotional pain, all handled with aplomb. His performance was a standout, but by no means the only successful one. The entirety of the cast embodied their roles well, including Shayan himself as an especially humorous and high-energy Fairy Godmother in drag.

One apparent weakness of “#Queers” was the incongruence between the two acts; the first act was shorter and delved less into substantial themes of queer relationships than with the second act. In comparison, the second act seemed far more developed and therefore more meaningful. Additionally, the show’s curious tendency to reference its own status as a fictitious play contrasted sharply with the authenticity of the characters. Extended and frank discussion about lighting, staging, stagehands, scripts, and monologues distracted from a genuine engagement with the storyline. At times, this self-awareness did provide some humor, but in the end, it undermined the honesty and depth of the story—the heart of the play.

However, this issue was often overshadowed by the show’s greater strengths—vitality, humor, complexity, and frankness. Yes, “#Queers” is a little shocking at first. But the end result was not a flashy political agenda, but rather a complex and funny production that entertained and successfully explored queer relationships in modern society.