"Life's a god damned laugh riot," writes Mart Crowley in his 1968 play "The Boys in the Band". Windy City Playhouse revives the iconic play under the direction of Carl Menninger. This is the first revival in Chicago in over twenty years. "The Boys in the Band" just ended a successful Tony Awarded run on Broadway in 2018. The film remake produced by Ryan Murphy is scheduled to premiere on Netflix later this year. 

Mart Crowley's play was a pivotal moment for LGBT representation when it opened off-Broadway in the late 60s. A play about five gay men throwing a birthday party for their friend struck a chord with both straight and gay audiences. It was a window into the previously taboo urban gay lifestyle complete with frank sexual references and queer vernacular. Crowley's observations about aging and love cover universal ground that many in their 30s and 40s can relate to. 

Windy City Playhouse's production is an immersive experience. A chic set by William Boles serves as both the seating and the performance space. Patrons are invited to the party snacks and are offered drinks throughout the two-hour show. This quirky touch adds to the fun of the first half of the play. The main character Michael (Jackson Evans) is hosting and one by one he receives his guests and bit by bit their life stories are revealed in searingly funny dialogue. The ensemble cast has great chemistry and the party environment is contagious fun. 

As the drinks flow and Michael's straight college roommate arrives, the play takes a decidedly darker tone. Similar to an Albee play, the witty banter ratchets up to cutting insults. The party is in Harold's (Sam Bell Gutwitz) honor but Michael has other ideas and initiates a demoralizing game. The battle for dominance between the two characters is uneasy and authentic. Gurwitz commands the stage in brief but withering lines. Jackson Evans makes Michael a sympathetic character even as he lobs outdated, racially insensitive insults at Bernhard (Denzel Tsopnang).

Despite 50 years of LGBT progress, the themes of aging, substance abuse and self-acceptance explored by Crowley feel as relevant today as ever. The world is much more accepting now than it was in 1968, but it's because of plays like "The Boys in the Band". Some aspects transcend sexual orientation while others are very specific to gay life. The play serves to humanize what people at the time thought of as perversion. "Boys in the Band" helped further a growing movement that would later open the door for more plays, novels and movies to tell LGBT stories in the mainstream. 

At Windy City Playhouse. 3014 W Irving Park Road. 773-327-3778

*Extended through May 17th!