By Susannah Whitman
An Other Theater Company’s current production of Mae West’s is deliciously “scandalous” proof that some things never change. We have the same tropes in our comedies as we did in 1927, sometimes being queer is complicated, and a New York drag ball is some of the most fun you’ll ever have.
Written in 1927, the show was closed while still in previews and never made it to Broadway. But it wasn’t because it was a bad script—it was because the show was suddenly illegal. In response to Mae West’s previous works (and a handful of other controversial plays), senator introduced the Wales Padlock Act. It prohibited depictions of homosexuality in theaters. Actors and producers involved in any “immoral drama” could be arrested and prosecuted. If they were convicted, the theatre where they had worked would be padlocked for a year.
It was truly dangerous to be gay in 1927—sodomy was a felony (until 1980 in New York), and raids and entrapment were common. While there was a vibrant queer scene during the 1920s, it was not a legal one, and West’s play dared to explore a world that was mostly underground. While we’ve come a long way since 1927, we’ve still got a ways to go, and putting on a production like The Drag in Provo takes an artistic courage that this reviewer is deeply grateful for. Because The Drag is a really fun show.
There are several interwoven plots: the secretly gay businessman, whose sexually frustrated wife finds comfort in the arms of another man, the well-meaning doctor attempting to “cure” the homosexual men in his care, the lovesick young man whose broken heart leads him to desperate action, and the colorful cast of queens and servants around them all.
Under the direction of Taylor Jack Nelson, almost all of the ten members of the small cast take on multiple roles. In keeping with the themes of the show, the casting is gender-fluid, with men playing men and women, and women playing men and women. (This kind of gender play is especially fun when a woman plays a man who’s dressed as a woman.) This kind of double casting showcased the tremendous talent of the actors, who were each wonderfully versatile.
Briana Lindsay Fisher brings a kind of tenderness to the gruff but caring Dr. Richmond, and as Kate (a clear homage to Mae West), she is a sizzling and scandalous delight. Amanda Monson’s musical voice and comedic timing as the matronly Barbara reminded me of the brilliant screen actress Margaret Dumont, and she is equally wonderful in her roles as a Drag King and the Inspector. Adam Gowers is priceless as the maid Jessie and the butler Parsons, and his transition from one character to another is riotous fun.
Brian Kocherhans plays the successful and flamboyant drag host, and he finds moments of deep sincerity throughout the comedy. As the lovesick David, Jordan Kramer is heartbreakingly good, and his sweetness and pain are especially evident in his number “Mad About The Boy.” (And he’s almost unrecognizable as another female character, Marion.) As the sexually frustrated ingénue Claire, Emma Robinson is hysterically funny. Her sexual frustration as a new bride has wound her up so tight that she can hardly function, but as an innocent girl in 1927, she doesn’t have the words to express her troubles, and has to resort to sobbing and flopping dramatically onto couches (another word about that in a moment). Mel Howarth plays the upstanding and ardent Allen Grayson, the apple of male and female eyes alike, as well as the taxi driver who finds himself the belle of the drag ball. Their sincerity as Grayson is truly fitting of a 1920s hero.
Rounding out the cast are a handful of queens: Clem/“The Doll,” played by Ardon Smith, whose sass and sarcasm are wonderful; “The Duchesss,” played by Ryan Hopkins, and Winnie Lewis, played by Kaitlin Lemon. Both Lemon and Hopkins’ musical numbers at the drag ball are absolute show stoppers, and Lemon’s portrayal of the crotchety and homophobic Judge Kingsbury is also phenomenal.
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The technical elements are all fitting and enchanting. Under the stage management of Ian Brookes, Janice Chan’s set and props create the perfect atmosphere for a jazz-age romp. Ash Knowles’ costume design included some truly wonderful gender-bent pieces, and Christopher-Alan Peterson’s makeup and hair design borrows elements from modern drag in perfect ways. Lighting design by Aimee Findley Moore is simple (as it often is in that space), but there were moments where the lighting shifts elevated the story being told. Finally, Kacey Spadafora’s sound design showcased some truly brilliant songs.
Okay, back to the “sobbing and flopping dramatically onto couches” thing. Mae West’s play (like many plays of the time) relies heavily on tropes and types. The overly dramatic ingenue. The caring but gruff father. The heroic lover. The old maid aunt. In all honesty, these tropes and types still exist in our comedies today—you can easily find them in sitcoms and farces and films. But in the case of this play, their trappings may have felt a little outdated to modern audiences.
This production of The Drag solves that problem by leaning all the way into those tropes and types. If we’ve got an overdramatic ingenue, then by gum, she is going to let her fur coat fall dramatically to the floor before she collapses onto the sofa, one hand upon her forehead. This embracing of the sort of over-the-top drama of the play is part of what makes this production so fun. (That, and the drag ball in Act Two. If you see this play for no other reason, see it for the drag ball in Act Two.)
Mae West once said that she generally avoids temptation, unless she can’t resist it. And An Other Theatre Company’s production of The Drag is irresistible. So if you’re tempted to visit the Provo Towne Centre Mall, make your way to the second floor, near Dillard’s, sink into a yellow-cushioned pew, and give in to a laughter-and-music-filled show.
An Other Theatre Company presents The Drag by Mae West
An Other Theatre Company, Provo Towne Centre Mall, 1200 Towne Centre, (2nd floor, near Dillard’s), Provo, UT 84601
Friday-Saturday, July 27 – August 18, 2018, 7:30 PM Matinee Saturday, August 11, 2:00 PM
Contact: anothertheaterco@gmail.com
Tickets: $14 online, $17 at the door
An Other Theater Company Facebook Page
The Drag Facebook event
Content advisory: Adult themes
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