Chelsie Nectow, Keiji Ishiguri, and Peter DiMaggio in ‘Lizard Boy’ at SpeakEasy Stage. Photos by Benjamin Rose Photography.
‘Lizard Boy’ – Book, music, and lyrics by Justin Huertas. Directed by Lyndsay Allyn Cox; Music Direction by Violet Wang; Scenic Design by Qingan Zhang; Sound Design by Sean Doyle; Costume Design by Zoë Sundra, Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage at the Calderwood Pavilion. Through Nov. 22.
By Mike Hoban
There are any number of musicals that examine the hardships of not fitting in − from the 1960s Rankin-Bass television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Nose Reindeer to Wicked to Bat Boy: The Musical. The challenges of “being different” and the struggle to be accepted can be compelling fodder for any storytelling vehicle, and SpeakEasy’s delightfully silly but poignant Lizard Boy is no exception.
Lyndsay Allyn Cox, Kelly Chick in ASP’s ‘Bright Half Life’ – PHOTO CREDIT NILE SCOTT STUDIOS
By Julie-Anne Whitney
‘Bright Half Life’ – Written by Tanya Barfield; Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian; Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Lighting Design by Aja Jackson; Sound Design by Elizabeth Cahill; Costume Design by Zoe Sundra; Stage-managed by Lauren Burke. Presented by Runs through February 16, 2020 at the Plaza Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts.
How many times have you been in the theater and seen two women on
stage who happen to love each other? Think about it for a minute and you’ll
probably realize it’s a pretty low number.
There are several well-known plays which discuss or highlight LGBTQ+ characters such as The Children’s Hour (1934), The Boys in the Band (1968), The Normal Heart (1985), I Am My Own Wife (1992), Angels in America (1992), Stop Kiss (1998), The Laramie Project (2001), Indecent (2017), and The Inheritance (2018), among others. There are also a few popular musicals which feature LGBTQ+ characters such as La Cage aux Folles (1983), Falsettos (1992), Rent (1996), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998), The Color Purple (2005), Kinky Boots (2013), Fun Home (2015), and Jagged Little Pill (2018). But not one of these pieces features two women who love each other as the central focus of the story, and who are given the time to express their love for more than just a song or a couple of scenes. This is why Tanya Barfield’s Bright Half Life is an overdue breath of fresh air. A 65-minute play about the 40-year relationship between two women is a rare gift – one I have been waiting to receive nearly all of my life.
