Q: What?s the first play you did with a gay element?
A: The Enclave. It was about a group of friends, grouped around the central character, who?s a closet gay. Put music to it and what have you got? Company. Of course he?s not gay in Company...[Laurents smiles).
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas." -Danmeg's 10 year old son.
I'm pretty sure Arthur Laurents invented the word "theatre."
No, really. Before that, everyone would say, "we're going to sit collectively in the dark with a group of people and watch some other people wearing costumes talk at us for a while."
Arthur said, "Wait ... I think we can pare that explanation down and just call it 'theatre.'"
True story.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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He never actually says that he inspired Company, just that his play had a similar structure. If anything, since it's in the context of talking about gay rights and depictions, he's implying that Bobby should be or is gay, which is a whole different debate.
I don't think Arthur Laurents is quite as crazy as everyone on this board says he is. I'm sure much of his image is based in truth, but I think a lot gets wildly exaggerated online. Updated On: 8/8/09 at 11:52 PM
"I don't think Arthur Laurents is quite as crazy as everyone on this board says he is. I'm sure much of his image is based in truth, but I think a lot gets wildly exaggerated online."
Yes, but who's doing the exaggerrating?
Arthur can take as well as he can give as I'm sure many can attest.
He wrote 2 of the greatest musicals of all time, along with the respective collaborators. His claims of influence on other shows, from COMPANY to WICKED, is speculative and entertaining. Exaggeration is exaggeration.
Well if ENCLAVE was written after COMPANY or whatever then how can he argue anything about their similarities. Because then wouldn't he be the one inspired by COMPANY...?
I think he's doing it on purpose now to be funny. I really do.
No, actually. He's been doing this--and much, much worse--all his life.
He has to take credit for other people's successes because he knows in the empty chamber where other people have hearts that his own successes are lesser compared to those of his contemporaries.
And to be fair, The Enclave was produced in 1973 but he had been writing it for several years after Stonewall. No one would produce it until he directed it himself off-Broadway--and besides, The Boys in the Band did it better anyway.
Yes, it is creepy. It is no surprise how he puts down his co-collaborators on West Side Story and Gypsy. Wasn't he in the room when those shows were written? When he dies, his plays will be forgotten. He will be forever linked to West Side Story and Gypsy. When he dies, the lights on Broadway will not be dimmed and people will dance on his grave.