Interesting point about Neil Simon's idea of a homosexuals. What you say is certainly accurate and I agree with you now. However, I had a different perspective and experience then.
At the time, I was 18, from a rural farming community in Wisconsin. I saw the play on a trip to Chicago. I'd seen so little representation of gay men anywhere, that I was absolutely thrilled by the gay character. The actor portraying him was handsome, vibrant, sophisticated. The lens I was viewing through saw those attributes and probably ignored the rest.
Imagine my surprise years later when I saw James Coco's portrayal in the film adaptation, Only when I Laugh. |