| ... it was written in a different time, when the world was different for gay men. But a lot of plays were written under different social conditions than the ones prevalent today. The play doesn't pretend to be a comprehensive picture of gay men. Are there still self-hating neurotic people who can't accept themselves and lash out at others? Certainly. Yes, the plot mechanism of the play is a bit stagey and contrived, but as a frequent theatergoer, I have a fondness for plays with that kind of plotting, like the (spoiler alert) imaginary son in VIRGINIA WOOLF, or the manuscript in HEDDA GABLER. I don't find plays dated because the writers worked in a different era and didn't foresee events to come. The characters in BOYS IN THE BAND are vivid and compelling human beings, and that's more important to me than anything. |
