Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays
Since Proposition 8, gay rights have been a hot button issue. No matter which side of the aisle you’re on though, this theatrical event to benefit marriage equality pushes all the right buttons with its rotating celebrity cast and new plays by award-winning playwrights.
This series of five Monday night performances at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre presents an even-sided perspective with intelligent humor, refreshing frankness, and emotional appeal. With its roster of acclaimed playwrights and an all-star cast, the staged readings are of the same impeccable quality as LATW’s The Play’s the Thing series, underscored however, with a veracity to affect positive change that is palpable.
What originally began as a one-night benefit performance (held at the El Portal in 2009) conceived and directed by Brian Shnipper and associate producer Allian Rochel, soon became a social and critical success with its second benefit last June at the N.Y. Theatre Workshop. By then, the producers realized they had a hit on their hands when notable playwrights such as Neil LaBute, Doug Wright and Paul Rudnick began approaching them to include their works in the evening of short plays.
“So many people wanted to be involved that the New York benefit was 3 hours long and featured 35 actors,” explains Shnipper. “We’ve trimmed the number of plays to nine and are working with an ensemble of six actors to create a truly dynamic and cohesive 90-minute juggernaut. Just as the celebrity casts rotate at each performance, we hope to rotate in new plays as they come to us. It’s an ongoing process because we know that writers will continue to be moved to write on the subject.”
A different celebrity ensemble will be announced for each of the Monday night performances at The Renberg Theatre. Past performers have included Jason Alexander, Eve Best, Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Cake, Peri Gilpin, Judd Hirsch, Richard Kind, Hamish Linklater, Wendie Malick, Jefferson Mays, Deborah Messing, Debra Monk, Kathy Najimy, Zach Quinto, Jean Smart, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Alfre Woodard.
The sold out preview I attended last month at the Largo at the Coronet was nothing short of sensational. Audience members are encouraged to wear a white ribbon given at the box office and the atmosphere was electrified with anticipation and camaraderie. Some people were there to support the cause, others to see the stars for that evening’s performance. The celebrity cast for the preview included, Peri Gilpin (Frasier), Richard Kind (A Serious Man), Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland), Kathy Najimy (Kathy and Mo), Jack Plotnick (Gods and Monsters), Jean Smart (Samantha Who?) and James Patrick Stuart (90210).
As the cast entered the simply dressed stage, uniformly wearing black, the mood altered, reflecting the gravity and seriousness with which these artists have dedicated their craft to a cause that champions equal rights for all. Out of nine plays, even by esteemed playwrights, one would expect a play or two to fall short of hitting the mark. In this evening’s preview, each play was just as exceptional as the last. What struck me was the variety of insights and perspectives raised in an emotional kaleidoscope that had the audience roaring with laughter one moment and swallowing hard the next. This is not a show, which in essence preaches to the choir; nor does it slant its view with sentimentality. It is raw, witty, moving and compassionate—the driving forces behind the performers and the text.
The cast were exceptional but special mention goes to Richard Kind’s powerful monologue as a widower reeling from his loss in Moises Kaufmann’s “London Mosquitoes” and his hilarious performance in the two-hander “The Revision” by Jordan Harrison. Wendie Malick and Peri Gilpin sizzled as a funny lesbian couple suffering from pre-wedding jitters in “This Flight Tonight” by Wendy MacLeod. Doug Wright’s “On Facebook” ensemble piece, (based on a real thread about gay marriage), generated a gaggle of laughs while showing both sides of the argument in a startling discourse. Neil LaBute’s “Strange Fruit” easily brought people to tears with his signature course language, flawed characters and gut-wrenching twist at the end. If you want to see the best of the best in one evening, this is the show to see.
Following each performance is a wedding reception with cake and audience members enjoyed their delicious slice of heaven while rubbing shoulders with the celebrities. The general feeling of goodwill this show creates makes it a very special night at the theater indeed. I saw more hugging, air kisses, smiles and hand squeezing among the crowd then other after-show parties. It’s a performance that demands attention, promotes change but more than that, it is cathartic—which is exactly what the theater should be and this show achieves it brilliantly.
Bolstered by the support and dynamic presence of its celebrity cast(s) and writers, the series officially opens on May 9. The collaborative effort of all these artists entertains and provokes thought while raising awareness and is truly the hottest ticket in town, (I strongly recommend reserving tickets now before it sells out). On a night when theater is usually dark, this production lights up the town.
“Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays” stands up for equality, understanding, hope and freedom, but above these it stands for love.
“Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays”
Monday, May 9 (opening) @ 8pm
See below for a listing of the opening night plays & cast.
Monday, May 23 @ 8pm
Monday, June 6 @ 8pm
Monday, June 20 @ 8pm
Monday, June 27 @ 8pm
The Renberg Theatre
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N. McCadden Place,
Los Angeles 90038
|(One block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.)
PH: 323-860-7300
www.StandingOnCeremony.net
www.facebook.com/StandingOnCeremony
Twitter: @gaymarriageplay
Tickets are $35 and $50
Ample free street parking after 6 pm
Opening night plays & cast:
THE PLAYS:
- Oppression and Pearls byJenny Lyn Bader - A bridal consultant helps a mother and daughter sort out their differences and navigate a wedding veil trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman
- TheRevision byJordan Harrison - an amusing look at how two men might rewrite their vows to more accurately reflect the limited options available to a gay couple
- WhiteMarriage by JefferyHatcher, in which a wife and husband discuss his “gay” sense of humor
- LondonMosquitoes byMoisés Kaufmann - a widower tries to make sense of the loss of his long-time lover
- This Marriage Is Saved by Joe Keenan, a satiric vignette in which a disgraced evangelist and his wife insist that his fling with a male prostitute has strengthened their marriage.
- StrangeFruit by Neil LaBute - the story of two men in love whose plans to get married “the old-fashioned way” are stymied when reality rears its ugly head
- ThisFlightTonight by WendyMacLeod - Is there any hope for happiness when a lesbian marriage begins in IOWA?
- PabloandAndrewattheAltarofWords by José Rivera – two men use their marriage vows to “say the things we never really say”
- TheGayAgenda by Paul Rudnick - a sadly hilarious plea for understanding by an Ohio homemaker and member of Focus on the Family
- OnFacebook byDoug Wright, adapted from an actual Facebook thread that chronicles one long fight among friends on the issue of gay marriage.
Cast List for Opening Night:
- Peri Gilpin
- Julie Hagerty
- Rachael Harris
- Wendie Malick
- John Rubinstein
- Jon Tenney