Final Exam Flashcards
4 hour play about Arnold Beckoff, a Jewish homosexual, drag queen, and torch singer who lives in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein
what are International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, Widows and Children First!, each highlighting a different time in the character, Arnold’s life?
the three plays that make up the Torch Song Trilogy
This play has “helped to validate all people’s experiences regardless of their preferences”. It was very radical for the time as the general population was still getting used to people being open about their sexualities and this play delves right into certain homosexual issues.
Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein
who wrote The Madness of Lady Bright?
Lanford Wilson
Noted for being one of the first mainstream playwrights to create central, meaningful gay and lesbian characters and made clear that the subject matter of many of his plays were drawn from his own life
Lanford Wilson
opened in 1964, played for 205 performances and was nominated for 3 tonys
The Madness of Lady Bright
a play about the main character, leslie’s memories in his apartment. was inspired by playwright’s life and friends.
The Madness of Lady Bright
Who wrote under the skin?
Yonatan Calderon(2013)
Who are the main characters in under the skin?
Bube(a nazi) and Lotte
What is under the skin about?
the true story of a love affair between a nazi officer and a jewish woman held in a concentration camp. It flashes between WWII and the cold way
Who wrote brave smiles?
5 lesbian brothers(one of which was lisa kron)
Where was brave smiles performed?
WOW cafe
What are the major themes of brave smiles?
lesbian stereotypes, everyone dies, abuse and sexual misconduct
Who wrote the inheritance?
matthew lopez(2018)
Who are the major characters in the inheritance?
Eric, Toby, EM Forester, Walter, Adam, Leo
Leo creating his own Howard’s End by writing The Inheritance, is an example of:
Vorticism
Which historical event was a catalyst for the formation of the gay community in the US?
World War II
What two timelines put together the story of “Stop Kiss”?
Pre-kiss and Post-kiss
What does “As Is” begin with?
a joke
Who are the main characters of “Enter the Night”?
Tressa: a cross dressing nurse who thinks of herself as an Asian man, Jack: a gay main whose partner died of AIDS and Jack believes he gave it to him even though he has never tested positive for the virus, Paula: has had fibrillations (a heart condition) that have made her existential
Who wrote “The Goat”?
Edward Albee (in 2000)
Who wrote The Boys in the Band, and when (with respect to Stonewall)?
Written by Mart Crowley in 1968. Written pre Stonewall, performed on Broadway during the Stonewall riots, and then the film was made with the same cast post Stonewall
Who wrote “Enter the Night”?
Maria Irene Fornes in 1993
What is the basic plot of The Boys in the Band?
Michael hosts a birthday party for his friend Harold, and invites some friends (His birthday present, the cowboy). His old college roommate, Alan, calls and tells Michael he needs to talk to him about something. Michael forces everyone to act like he’s straight since Alan never knew Michael was gay, although this doesn’t last long. Michael begins a game where everyone must call someone they’re in love with and tell them. Bernard calls the boy whose family his mother worked for as a maid and regrets it intensely. Michael tries to “out” Alan since he believes he might be gay but Alan instead calls his wife and leaves. The party ends leaving Michael to confront himself, erupting into his meltdown with Donald’s support to help calm him down.
Character breakdown of The Boys in the Band:
Michael: a self loathing Catholic who depends too much on Alcohol and material things
Donald: an educated janitor who once had sex with Larry, Michael’s good friend
Harold: a jewish man with large in security about his skin/appearance, feels he needs to smoke weed in order to get the confidence to leave the house
Larry: lives with Hank and does not believe in monogamy
Hank: is separating from his wife to live with Larry, disagrees with Larry when it comes to monogamy
Emory: the most effeminate of the group, uses the most slang/vertical structure
Alan: Michael’s college roommate, presumably the only straight character (although that comes into question) we never find out what he came to tell Michael
Bernard: the only person of color specified in the character descriptions, calls the white boy whose his mother worked for in Michael’s game and is devastated by his actions
What other major play does The Boys in the Band make lots of references to, and have a similar structure to?
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” both have absurdist play structure and game structure (although The Boys in the Band” is a bit more realist, according to Joe E Jeffreys.)
Examples of authentic gay slang used in “The Drag”
“rough trade”: heterosexual men engaging in gay sex
“mol”: prostitute
gay gentlemen referring to each other as she and her
Example of vertical structure in “The Drag”
Ulrich book-beginning of sexology as a field, lays foundation for what to expect in the play
What do the Doctor and the Judge represent in “The Drag”?
legal/medical aspects, conversion therapy, the idea that being gay was like being a criminal
