Theater, Movies, Art and Literature

As I mentioned I love coming of age movies. Both gay and straight there is something about the edge of innocence that completely captivates me. Anyway, here are a just a few classics in my opinion. Stand By Me This might be one of the all time greatest coming of age films. It seamlessly follows four friends on a journey of a lifetime. Though as we find out the journey is not so much about the destination as it is more about how these boys begin to explore themselves and each other. Billy Elliot How one boy faces his fears with a determination not seen in many men let alone such a delicate flower. Almost Famous A wide eye, sheltered teenager chasing his dreams from b…

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the rare movie that is both timeless and completely of its own time. While deservedly a cult classic with moments of brilliance, any objective viewing of it today shows it is filled with elements that modern queer or feminist theorists would certainly call “problematic.” I first saw the movie in Baltimore in undergraduate school. I instantly loved it. I have seen it in many cities but also just enjoy watching it on the computer. I do enjoy seeing the midnight shows in NYC as they are wild and crazy nights! These days, the 1975 musical by Richard O'Brien, who does a brilliant turn as the seemingly servile butler Riff Raff, is known most…

Well, accomplishing anything useful today is shot. Just came across the Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library: http://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/ (Posting in this forum needless to say on account of personally regarding all the world's so-called sacred texts as literature not revelation.)

Chicago theater audiences saw two plays in 2012 that were expected to be Broadway bound. Both played at the Goodman Theater, a leading Chicago house. One starred Nathan Lane, a proven Broadway winner, the other starred Diane Lane and the hunky Finn Witrock. Neither will ever be seen on Broadway in what is proving to be the toughest market in years. The NY Times reports: "Among plays, meanwhile, two admired revivals at the Goodman Theater — of “The Iceman Cometh” and “Sweet Bird of Youth” — will not be coming to Broadway because of lack of interest from producers. Two other plays that have been announced for Broadway, “The Miss Firecracker Contest” and “The Velocity of Au…

Has anyone seen this production yet?

Several years ago during the gay marriage debate in California one activist quipped we think we should have the same right to be miserable as straight people. The Kids Are All Right is a film that sets out to prove that point and succeeds very, very well at it. What makes this film such an important part of the ongoing gay civil rights movement in America is that it is essentially saying that gay relationships are no different at all from straight relationships and that gay parents are no different from straight parents. That the parents happen to be lesbians and not gay men is not important. You could make a nearly identical film with either gender. The film is b…

On of my, if not my all time, favorites in this genre is A Beautiful Thing. It is a British film, and the dialogue can be a little difficult to follow at first, until you get accustomed to the accent. But it is a great gay coming of age movie.

We have so many intelligent and creative individuals here that enjoy discussing theater and literature that we have decided to create a special forum for it. I have always enjoyed the discussions revolving around Lucky and Marc Anthony and others trips to New York to see the latest plays and musicals or hearing what a poster's favorite new book is that we thought the site should dedicate one area to this. I hope everyone will contribute and participate here and lets us know what you see and do and what you are reading!

Right now I am reading a novel by James Lee Burke, who, in my opinion, is one of the finest American authors alive. The book is not one of his major ones, but I would read just about anything he wrote to spend some time in the worlds he creates- worlds where everyone is struggling with life, yet the struggles and the worlds are described in almost poetic fashion. The current novel is called In the Moon of Red Ponies, and takes place in and around Missoula, Montana, a state where the beauty never stops. It was written in 2008, but you can pick up just about any of his novels and find yourself swept up in somewhere you might not want to leave. Burke's big novel this year w…

I love gay movies and I try to see most things that have a gay theme. I guess it makes me feel good to see gay characters on the big screen. I will be adding a new movie here each week. My plan is to do a brief review and summary. I hope some of you like this section and participate here as well. I have a list of my top 50 gay movies I'll be reviewing.