BAND FAGS!: Comedy. Written by Frank Anthony Polito. Directed by Stephanie Temple. New Conservatory Theatre Center Walker Theatre, 25 Van Ness Ave @Market, San Francisco, CA. 415-861-8972 or www.boxoffice@nctcsf.org.
September 13 – October 13, 2013
BAND FAGS! is a coming of age play at the New Conservatory Theatre Center
Coming of age stories are almost always personal reminiscences and can be charming, bitter-sweet or dark. Since playwright Frank Anthony Polito sets the place of Band FAGS! in his home town of Hazel Park, a Detroit superb known as “Hazeltucky” one can assume it is at least semi-autobiographical. The time is October 1984 to October 1988 when he would have been a pre-teen.
His characters in this two-hander grow from age 13 to 17 and from junior high-schoolers to seniors. It is a time when sexual hormones begin and in that four year span can rage. So it is with best friends Jack Paterno and Brad Dayton, who is black. They developed a close friendship when they became members of Varsity Band and they often need to reassure themselves that they are best friends.
Sadly the male members of the band are derogatorily called “Fags” hence the title of the play. As the 20 plus scene play progresses there is no subject off limits for the boys and director Temple allows them to excessively horse around taking the sting out of some hurtful observations. They constantly deny that they are fags but often the dialog suggests otherwise. Author Polito does not put forth nor explore any new observations about the hardships of growing up gay and his two characters lack distinctive qualities.
Whereas Brad is the dominant more masculine one of the two and has secretly accepted his homosexuality, it is Jack who is in denial and filled with angst. Polito has written the angst into the dialog but neither Paterno nor Dayton has sufficient acting ability to covey that angst. This is very apparent in one of the final scenes where Brad has been elected as one of the “Top 25 Personalities” in the Senior Class and Jack who has coveted that honor for years has not. As staged by Temple the poignancy is absent. Similarly, when Jack has received a valentine from Joey his heartthrob and “other friend”, Brad’s confrontation lacks depth.
(L-R)James Arthur M as Brad shows off his Top 25 award to a disappointed Jack (Blake Dorris)
Further, the multiple scenes lack fluidity and are demarcated by the boys changing a sweater, a trouser or both on stage with an occasional reference to the date such as when Brad is writing a letter he begins with “October 6”, Dear Jack.
Paterno and Dayton are to be commended for their enthusiasm and apparently never missing a line but the arduous task of aging from age 13 to 17 would stymie an Equity actor. Knowing that actors have an aversion to “line direction” director Temple who has successfully helmed other shows would have better served by doing so creating what could have been a charming, heartwarming evening.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.
