Harvey Fierstein’s Classic Gay Comedy Touches Our Hearts

by Barry David Horwitz

Lend an ear and you will hear an authentic argument between a gay, New York drag queen son and his disappointed Jewish mom from Florida.

In Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song,” Nancy Carlin plays Mrs Beckoff with seriousness and passion, in the new version of the 1982 award-winning play about 70s gay liberation. As Ma, Carlin uses smug self-assurance, prickly comedy, and parental authority to hit home. When Ma Beckoff confesses her ingrained prejudice against gay life, the sparks fly.

Dean Linnard embodies Fierstein’s hero, Arnold Beckoff. Arnold is a hero because he persists in seeking self-worth, validation, and simple acceptance—while wearing heels or bunny slippers.

Lennard delightfully depicts Arnold as a melancholy torch singer. He’s a gay revolutionary who simply wants to be a good parent. Linnard’s Arnold, a masterwork of complex comedy, is also a call to arms. When Linnard lip-synchs a sultry torch song on a old-fashioned movie theater stage, his hilarious off-kilter gestures evoke hearty laughs and empathy.

But Linnard’s quirky, anxious New York Jewish pathfinder eventually wants a husband, an apartment, a kid, and some respect. Is that too much to ask? With the banishing of diversity laws in “red” states, those rights are in jeopardy again–especially for a drag queen.

When his bisexual lover Ed (thoughtful Patrick Andrew Jones) leaves him, Arnold settles down with Alan (terrific Edric Young), who is fine with being all kinds of gay. Joy replaces homophobia–but only for a fleeting moment.

By Act Two, “Women and Children First,” we are ready for the fully realized Arnold. He stands up to Ed (Patrick Andrew Jones), his bisexual, married lover. Arnold forces Ed to choose between him and his sweet wife (lively Kina Kantor). Arnold has become foster parent to a teen-age son—gay and rebellious David (joyful Joe Ayers).

What’s a drag queen to do? Well, he builds a fussy, conventional household on Sarah Phykitt’s whimsical set, filled with hilarity and love. He sends his son to high school and he carries on like a Jewish mother, deliciously.

Lennard and Carlin make momentous music, as they unleash a torrent of furious debates. Does Ma Beckoff have more rights than Arnold?  In lyrical duet, they compare their varieties of love. As Jewish mother and son, they form a fiery duo, battling over lives that echo each other. It’s a long way from NYC to Miami Beach.

Mother and son joust in witty and profound debate between a new way of life and a traditional one that demands conformity. Surely, their desires are not that different; but Ma wants the “other” to conform to her way. She cannot tolerate Arnold’s needs, so like her own. Linnard and Carlin play the roles at the top of their game.

Play it again, Harvey. Let’s enjoy what is past and let’s fight the return to the past swirling around us. Hey, the past is present, but the future beckons. Ask Arnold Beckoff. He will show the way.

 

“Torch Song” (1982/2017) by Harvey Fierstein, directed by Evren Odcikin, scenic design by Sarah Phykitt, costumes by Jessie Amoroso, lighting by Ray Oppenheimer, sound by Lana Palmer, at Marin Theatre, Mill Valley, California.

Info: marintheatre.org – to June 2, 2024.

Cast: Dean Linnard, Nancy Carlin, Joe Ayers, Patrick Andrew Jones, Edric Young, and Kina Kantor.

Banner photo: Nancy Carlin & Dean Linnard. Photos: David Allen