It was 1968, and audiences hadn't been introduced to the likes of Jack McFarland or Will Truman. And while breakout TV shows like "Will and Grace" now enjoy a cabinet full of awards and widespread success, American TV viewers might have been less willing to open their homes to an alternative lifestyle had it not been for the cast of another groundbreaking production generations ago -- Mart Crowley's 1968 Off-Broadway play, "The Boys in the Band."
"It's a story about people who aren't accepted, and I think at some point in our lives we've all felt like we haven't been accepted by somebody - whether it's a parent, who we date or who we marry."
Paula Rodriguez, an instructor in the theater department at San Antonio College, acknowledges the play features very mature, even uncomfortable themes, but chose this production because it not only challenges those who sit in the audience, but the young actors portraying very adult roles.
"They knew the material was very, very challenging and difficult. It's emotionally draining in places -- very, very funny, then it turns very, very dark... very fast."
Set in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the play's storyline centers around a birthday bash attended by a group of gay friends, each with complex, diverse personalities. As the night goes along and the men become more and more inebriated, the story takes a dark turn as the characters' inner demons are revealed.
"it's the most realistic thing I've gotten to play so far in my career," said SAC freshman Chris Quiroc, who plays the part of Michael, a recovering alcoholic and struggling Roman Catholic.
While "The Boys in the Band" goes down in history as the first American play to deal with gay life, Quiroc points out "it's really just about relationships and finding your place and finding your happiness. I think that's universal for everybody."
When & where to see "The Boys in the Band"
- February 4-6 & 11-13 7:30pm
Sundays, February 7 & 14 2:30pm
- San Antonio College
1300 San Pedro Ave, 78212
McCreless Theatre
Ticket Information
- $10 general admission, $8 all other students
- Free for all SAC and Alamo College students, faculty and staff
- No one under 12 admitted
