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Flamboyant Gays Commit Homicide, Serve Mimosas in New Play
3 Nov
Summary
- Playwright Drew Droege updates Hitchcock's "Rope" with "Boys in the Band" characters
- Wealthy, privileged gay couple murders a house guest before brunch with friends
- Older neighbor Karl plays the Miss Marple role, exposing the killers' crime
In a new play that premiered last month, playwright Drew Droege has blended Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 film "Rope" with the characters from Mart Crowley's seminal 1968 play "The Boys in the Band." The result is "Messy White Gays," an 80-minute comedy that opened on November 3rd at The Duke on 42nd Street in New York City.
The story follows a wealthy, privileged gay couple, Brecken and Caden, who have just murdered a house guest before hosting a chaotic Sunday brunch for their equally flamboyant friends. However, their plans are disrupted by the arrival of an older neighbor named Karl, who takes on the role of Miss Marple and begins to uncover the couple's deadly secret.
Unlike the original "Rope," in which the gay characters' sexuality was only hinted at, Droege's play features a cast of unapologetically queer characters who flaunt their white male privilege. From the out-of-work actor Thacker, who complains about people of color getting all the Broadway roles, to the gym bunny Addison, the play explores themes of entitlement and the power dynamics within the LGBTQ community.
