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| 'FALL' GUYS: (from left) Patrick Heusinger, Cotter Smith, Patrick Breen in the first-rate drama, 'Next Fall,' at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Photo: Carol Rosegg |
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Theater
Review
Outstanding cast, sharp script make
Next Fall one
of spring's best dramas
Next Fall
Written
by Geoffrey Nauffts
Directed by Sheryl Kaller
The Helen Hayes
Theatre
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.nextfallbroadway.com
Closes July 4th, 2010
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Here to Download the Review
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By Scott Harrah
Questioning one's faith, self-acceptance of
homosexuality, and Christian and family views of same-sex love—all are
just some of the serious themes explored in Next Fall, the
Geoffrey Nauffts drama that recently opened on Broadway after a
successful off-Broadway run at Playwrights Horizons.
Playwright
Geoffrey Nauffts has a rare ability to tell a story through flashbacks,
and that is something that almost never works onstage, but it’s
wonderfully effective here.
It’s also amazing that a character
like the play's lead, Adam (Patrick Breen) is not always likable, but
audiences still feel sympathy for him. Forty-year-old Adam, who
borders on being a stereotype of a whiny, neurotic New Yorker, somehow
lands a much-younger, handsome boyfriend, Luke (Patrick Heusinger), but
their relationship is complicated indeed. Luke, an aspiring actor, is a
devout Christian from the South. He believes that his sexuality is a
"sin," and prays for forgiveness after sex. As Luke falls in love with
Adam, he's unable to free himself from the perceptions of homosexuality
indelibly rooted in his fundamentalist Christian upbringing.
The
pair’s world is literally shattered when Luke is hit by a cab. Most of
the story transpires in the waiting room of a New York hospital as Adam,
his best friend and boss Holly (Maddie Corman), and Luke’s parents from
Florida, Arlene (Connie Ray) and Butch (Cotter Smith), await the
outcome of Luke’s fate.
As bleak as the narrative might be,
Next Fall somehow manages to be entertaining, thanks to the crisp
dialogue and the fine performances of the cast, tightly directed by
Sheryl Kaller. The various flashbacks—how Luke and Adam met, how Luke
hid the truth about his sexuality from his parents, Adam meeting Luke’s
father for the first time—unfold beautifully in a breezy manner. The
acting is so superb and the banter between characters so amusing and
lighthearted that one almost overlooks the fact that Nauffts is making
earnest statements about relationships and theological interpretations
of sexuality.
Patrick Breen brings a rough sense of realism to
Adam, a man who’s an agnostic, cynical, and discontented about life in
general. Heusinger’s warm interpretation of Luke as a lovable, somewhat
naďve soul is consistently moving, and makes Luke’s tenuous grasp at
life that much more touching as the tale progresses.
The story’s
only major flaw is the character of Brandon (Sean Dugan), Luke’s
longtime friend who’s a successful businessman, but has a warped,
archaic view of same-sex love and gay lifestyles. It’s never made quite
clear just what Brandon’s intentions are, or why he is so disapproving
of Adam and Luke’s romance.
Regardless, Next Fall is a
captivating story with unforgettable characters. What sets Next Fall
apart from many gay-themed dramas is its ability to tackle issues of
human sexuality, relationships, religion, and parental perceptions of
gay children in an honest way without resorting to melodrama or coming
across as heavy-handed.
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