THE INHERITANCE to close in March- Page 3

[Kad]

Posted: 2/21/20 at 10:12pm

nycward said: "I'm torn on this one guys (and gals:) I believe in separating art from cultural politics. The cast was extraordinary and frankly I believed all of them as gay men and that was all that I cared about. By your logic I guess we would be discrimanating against straight actors if a gay actor was ever cast in a heterosexual role. Perhaps they cast the best actors for the play. Kyle Soller is an American who lives in London and has a bit of a following there. He starred in Poldark for a few seasons. I think the rules of Woke correctness may have contributed to this wonderful play's demise. London didn't have any of these issues. Let us not destroy the good in a quest for the perfect..."

The play is literally ABOUT cultural politics. You can’t separate it, and to claim that you can is naive at best and self-serving at worst. It did not put its money where its mouth was. 

[jcl2000]

Posted: 2/22/20 at 9:16am

Got here at 915 and am 3rd in line. Rush seems pretty manageable.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/22/20 at 9:32am

Lavieboheme3090 said: "Part one was a series of pretty great monologues strung together by a series of tweets.

I saw it back in November and just could never get up the Gumption to see Part 2. "

You would be missing more of the same, only now under the assumption that you care about the characters. Eric gets shoes.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 2/22/20 at 9:35am

Kad said: "The play is literally ABOUT cultural politics. You can’t separate it, and to claim that you can is naive at best and self-serving at worst. It did not put its money where its mouth was."

Exactly. A few of us have discussed before how this read much better than what was put on stage, and this is one of the many issues I had - several moments that I loved reading felt so empty - speaking of gay rights and representation when the words are coming from a cast that do no represent our own community.

I don’t need only gay actors to play gay roles - but if a show is to be so high and mighty and “important”, I expect some real representation to be presented.

[yahyahyah]

Posted: 2/22/20 at 9:46am

How could you assert these were the “best actors for the roles” when they didn’t even audition actors in New York for them? No gay actors in New York auditioned for several of these roles offered to the London cast. Including the straight Mr Soller.

Do you think Andrew Garfield was the best actor for the role in Angels? Even though he didn’t audition, it was an offer and no gay US actors were ever auditioned?

That’s ridiculous. Again just look at the Oscar statistics. Gay actors are at a significant disadvantage in the industry and are being shut out of telling their own stories.

Do you think that I, as an intelligent and aware, politically minded 30 something gay New Yorker, want to watch a straight guy from London show me what he thinks it’s like to struggle as a gay man?

Or play a role that is to represent the struggle of generations and the thousands and thousands of gay men who were political warriors that paved the way for this play? Those men who died of aids?

Sorry, the casting is absurd and a slap in the face to all these men past and present.

And yes, even huge film studios often now put in their casting breakdowns “seeking an openly gay actor” when they are seeking actors for significant gay roles.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/22/20 at 7:40pm

I just saw two gay men play the two straight romantic leading men in “Mack & Mabel” today. Are you saying they shouldn’t have been cast in that?

[yahyahyah]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 2:12am

Are you equating Mack & Mabel to The Inheritance?

The Inheritance is about gay culture—attempting to tackle decades of trauma, plague and community. Our gay culture.

As far as I know, historically, there isn’t a land where straight people have been persecuted and diminished for their sexuality. Where they can’t get jobs. Where they can’t get married, the right to housing non-discrimination, serve in the military openly, be denied adoptions, etc. Where they can’t get agents for being straight. Where young straight audiences see gay actors telling all of their heterosexual stories, particularly of their struggles being straight and surviving the world. Where straight actors are shut out.

Philadelphia. Milk. Brokeback Mountain. Boys Don’t Cry. Moonlight. Call Me By Your Name. Kiss of the Spiderwoman. The Hours. Monster. Transamerica. Capote. Bohemian Rhapsody. Rocketman. Dallas Buyers Club. List goes on and on.

What do all these films have in common? Straight actors playing choice roles and winning accolades for telling those gay stories. Where are all the films with gay actors nominated for playing straight roles? I’ll wait.

How do you think young gay audience members feel going to watch a straight actor as the lead of an epic gay pride play? Confused? Cheated? Diminished?

Why do you think it was so important to the creatives of The Boys in the Band to cast a wholly out gay company?

Again—70 something straight actors have been Oscar nominated for playing gay roles. No out gay actor has ever won. Versus many many straight actors who have won for playing gay roles. What does that data say to you? I can’t google specific Tonys data—less info out there than on Oscars—but take a look at some of the past winners like Andrew Garfield, etc.

So perhaps when straight actors become so marginalized that they can’t catch a break, we should start worrying about a gay actor here or there scoring a straight role. Also, I’d argue musical theatre is a different beast than plays and film.

Again, let the pendulum swing the other way for a while—allow gay artists to be empowered with interpreting stories that represent their culture. Rather than straight actors taking on gay roles as “Awards bait.” Being gay isn’t just a scientific fact—it’s a culture, a struggle moving through the world, there’s a hard won pride—and gay actors deserve the opportunity to represent that.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 2:41am

I deeply loved Angels In America, and the casting of the entire show is the best I've ever seen. Everyone was so brilliant and the show itself was astounding. People really enjoyed it and critics loved it as well. Even though it wasn't a huge success financially, if Andrew Garfield (a certified movie star) was not cast, sales would have been much worse. As you know, it's a business and they need to make money so casting a well known guy who has had a lot of success just makes sense.

However, I have not lived your experience nor gone through what you have. I am a straight woman, so I have always seen myself represented on stage. I can appreciate you would want your experience to be accurate and represented by people in your community. 

Updated On: 2/23/20 at 02:41 AM

[yahyahyah]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 3:10am

We disagree on his performance in Angels then. I thought it was offensive. I enjoyed many of the other performances.

Yes, the argument that you need a star to sell it. But there are no out gay movie stars who can sell a project. So just give every choice role to a straight movie star who can sell it, evermore?

Out gay leading actor movie stars. Someone help me list them?

So why not help create that opportunity for a young gay actor—by casting them as the lead in a huge broadway production which would surely propel them forward? Pay forward some justice, honor the lives that you’ve dramatized with this dignity and respect.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 3:18am

So why not help create that opportunity for a young gay actor—by casting them as the lead in a huge broadway production which would surely propel them forward? Pay forward some justice, honor the lives that you’ve dramatized with this dignity and respect.
 

That would be wonderful, and I truly hope it happens sooner rather than later. Thank you for your thoughts on this subject, you are a great writer. 

[binau]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 7:24am

And it’s not just that they’re straight apparently, they’re British! Why does this thread sound a little bit like a trump rally lol.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 8:22am

qolbinau said: "And it’s not just that they’re straight apparently, they’re British! Why does this thread sound a little bit like a trump rally lol. "

Kyle Soller, Andrew Burnap, Samuel Levine, and John Benjamin Hickey are all American.

John Benjamin Hickey is the only out gay man in a principal role in the play. And he is by far the most repugnant of the gay characters.

No one is insinuating that we should invoke a police state where only gays can play gays and straights can play straights. That’s absurd. But the balance is and has always been off for the amount of queer performers getting to tell their own stories, and for a show that so heavily claims to be about the gay experience, you would think they would’ve put in more effort to cast with that in mind.

And the notion that they offered auditions to alllllll these gay actors and they all turned it down reeks of PR and misinformation.

[binau]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 9:10am

I just can’t prescribe to the fundamental premise that discriminating against straight actors is ok. No matter how hard gay people might have had it in the past. If in an audition context these actors were the best to play the parts they were the best to play the parts. It’s creepy that we want to make sure they’ve slept with men before giving them the ok lol.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 10:01am

I think it gets more offensive when they portray them as more “fey” or “sissy” even though, in Garfield’s case, that is basically the character! I had many friends offended by his performance.

And I kind of felt the same way about The Inheritance.

However if you’ve ever watched the sitcom “Happy Endings,” I loved the portrayal of Max as this gay guy who is chubby and masculine and messy and just happens to he gay. And played by a straight man.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 10:24am

I wonder how yahyahyah felt about the HBO miniseries of Angels. Most of that cast was straight but they all broke my heart.

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 10:54am

poisonivy2 said: "I wonder how yahyahyah felt about the HBO miniseries of Angels. Most of that cast was straight but they all broke my heart."

I wondered about this as well. 

yahyahyah raises some worthy concerns, but gay actors often get to play straight roles in NY theatre.  Ben Whishaw in The Crucible, Rupert Everett and Russell Tovey in the upcoming Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Tovey in A View From The Bridge, John Benjamin Hickey in Mary Stuart and Six Degrees of Separation, Cynthia Nixon in Rabbit Hole and The Little Foxes, Cherry Jones in The Glass Menagerie, A Moon For The Misbegotten and The Heiress, Brian Smith in The Glass Menagerie and Come Back Little Sheba, Sarah Paulson in Crimes of the Heart, The Glass Menagerie and Talley's Folly, Nathan Lane in The Iceman Cometh and the upcoming Death of a Salesman, David Cromer in The Waverly Gallery, Denis O'Hare in Uncle Vanya...could there be more?  Yes.  But it's hardly an anomaly.

It never occurred to me while watching The Inheritance that its cast was straight.  I doubt anyone would have concluded that they were based on the work they brought to the piece.  None of the actors sold it short.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  In the end, that is all that matters.

Updated On: 2/23/20 at 10:54 AM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 11:25am

I saw the play, enjoyed it, and the sexuality of the actors in real life didn't affect me. I didn't even know them at the time. So correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the people arguing that the roles should go to actual gay men feel that way because those roles are so few and far between. That's why people like Ben Whishaw or Jonathan Groff who play straight roles should also be allowed to do that. Because if they waited for exclusively gay roles, even though it's 2020, they'd be spending a lot of their careers waiting. Straight men should solely stick to straight roles because there are so many more of them. 

This may be a stretch, so don't crucify me, but it reminds me of the Black Lives Matter movement. People fought against it because they said that all lives matter. That's a given. But black people face higher rates of police brutality, prejudice, etc, so white people don't really have the same necessity to assert their value and worth. Straight people's jobs in the acting field do not face prejudice and inequalities, so let gay people own their identity in those few gay roles. 

I remember hearing complaints when Alfred Molina was given the role of Tevye in the Fiddler revival. When it's a character in a show about an oppressed minority, giving those parts to a member of the majority feels like a betrayal. For me, it didn't make a difference because I think theater enables us to empathize and learn about people different from ourselves, but I certainly understand the desire to own one's identity.

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 12:42pm

I may be wrong, but I believe the casting of straight actors in gay roles in topical gay plays is actually rare, certainly increasingly rare, in NY theatre. Weren’t the casts of As Is, Torch Song Trilogy, The Normal Heart, and The Nance primarily gay? Ditto the original cast and most of the Elliott cast of Angels in America (if not Signature’s or HBO’s)?

If misrepresentation is a problem it is far more so in Hollywood.

Last Summer at Bluefish Cove will be revived on Broadway next year, directed by Cynthia Nixon. It will be interesting to see how she casts it.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 2:02pm

I do think if this show had been developed here in the states it would be radically different.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 3:24pm

qolbinau said: "I just can’t prescribe to the fundamental premise that discriminating against straight actors is ok. No matter how hard gay people might have had it in the past. If in an audition context these actors were the best to play the parts they were the best to play the parts. It’s creepy that we want to make sure they’ve slept with men before giving them the ok lol."

Do you think it would be appropriate to have a white Usnavi? What about a Latina Effie? I want to live in a world where any actor can play any role. But in some cases, the actor telling the story is also an important part of telling the story. Also, reducing an LGBTQ person to who they sleep with is reductive and demeaning.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 4:01pm

The Inheritance wasn’t perfect, but it still resonated with me. I mean, I included both parts in my January and February trips. I wouldn’t have returned if it didn’t move me profoundly, warts and all.

While it would have been nice to see more gay actors cast in principle roles especially given the context/content of the play, it didn’t effect me at all once I was in the theater. It didn’t cross my mind once the play began as I was affected by those actors’ portrayals. I found them utterly convincing.

As mentioned before, there are regulations that prohibit asking auditioning actors what their sexual orientation is. Also, Lopez stated they tried to attract famous publicly out actors for casting, but were not successful. I choose to believe him.

Also, the discrimination one sees in Hollywood against casting gay actors doesn’t seem to translate over to Broadway to the same degree where we’ve seen multiple examples of gay men cast in (and awarded for) heterosexual and gay roles.

I have to say that while I enjoyed The Boys in The Band revival, it was more a thrilling event because of the casting of an all gay cast and seeing it with an almost gay audience. The play itself is just okay and none of the performances were what I’d call award-worthy except for Robin de Jesús. Of course, they could only work with the book they were given. It was a thrilling event, not great theater.

I saw Angels in America on that same trip and it will remain one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. Of course, it helps that the script is a near masterpiece and it was expertly directed. But it was also perfectly acted by the entire cast, led by Garfield’s masterful performance. In fact, I’d say he and Elaine May’s are my two favorite performances I’ve ever seen in a play.

During the same season as TBINB, I also saw the Torch Song revival and while I also enjoyed it and I love Michael Urie, it paled in comparison to Angels and Garfield’s performance. I was actually disappointed that of the three Tony nominated revivals (TBINB, Torch Song, The Waverly Gallery), TBINB won. In my mind, The Waverly Gallery should have hands-down won. But I felt like the voters wanted to support the event that was TBINB over what I found to be profoundly, intimately moving theater (The Waverly Gallery).

Also, speaking of Angels in America, the “woke” police practically forced Lee Pace to publicly out himself in response to the criticism of his casting. Surely, no one thinks that’s cool.

So, would it have been great if more gay men were cast in lead roles in The Inheritance? Sure, if they could play the roles as well as this cast did. Was it a deal breaker? Not for me. Do I support an equal playing field for gay actors seeking to be cast in theatrical shows? Yes. Does that mean that gay men should be cast in every gay role? No. Is every instance of a straight actor being cast in gay role an example of homophobia? Also No.

Just my opinion, folks. No reason to send out the attack dogs.

[binau]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 4:22pm

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "qolbinau said: "I just can’t prescribe to the fundamental premise that discriminating against straight actors is ok. No matter how hard gay people might have had it in the past. If in an audition context these actors were the best to play the parts they were the best to play the parts. It’s creepy that we want to make sure they’ve slept with men before giving them the ok lol."

Do you think it would be appropriate to havea whiteUsnavi? What about a LatinaEffie? I want to live in a world where any actor can play any role. But in some cases, the actor telling the story is also an important part of telling the story. Also, reducing an LGBTQ person to who they sleep with is reductive and demeaning."

Come on, there are differences between external factors/physical characteristics that cant be hidden and internal characteristics that, if an actor is doing their job well, will be hidden. Also, sorry you’re right the real gay test should be how many Bernadette Peters cast albums they own. If it’s less than 5 I’d say not eligible to play a role in The Inheritance. 

Updated On: 2/23/20 at 04:22 PM

[yahyahyah]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 9:42pm

Look, I think we’re clearly coming at this from two different perspectives. 
 

This production was not a success here. It is a financial failure and failed to resonate with its targeted audiences and is closing. Fact. So I’m sorry you think what they did was all on track, but the facts show otherwise. 
 

Why? I think it reeks of inauthenticity. There currently is not one out gay actor in a principal role in this “gay play for our generation” about the ages and ages of trauma, strife, activism and plague of the gay community. That is a damn disgrace. Even John Benjamin Hickey was replaced with a straight dude.  
 

Additionally, not having out and proud gay actors playing major roles hurt their press and publicity opportunities. Read their vanilla NYT cast interview. It’s very different to speak to actors who are approaching their work from an incredibly personal place vs. “I know some gay people and this community has embraced me since I got the part I think.” Do you think Out magazine or Advocate wants to put a straight dude from London playing gay on their cover? 
 

The cast could have been booked on more shows, featured in more print, perhaps if these actors could relate and talk passionately about this “important work” from a deeply personal place. The hook for press would have been much stronger than “I’m straight and came from London and my agent sent me to this audition.”

A sense of authenticity really is an exciting phenomenon—can add an event like feel to a production. Look at casts like the downtown newbies in Rent, or a 17yo Salonga in Saigon, or real teenagers in Spring Awakening. Would Rent have been the gritty phenomenon had it been cast with Broadway vets like, I don’t know, like.. Boyd Gaines as Roger? Even if he could make himself look “Rock n roll?” There is an intangible quality of authenticity which can excite audiences on another level and make some shows into cultural phenomenons.

To state the obvious, the actors employed by The Inheritance are at no fault and I’m sure they give it all they’ve got. 

To respond briefly to a few specific points:
 

Miles2Go2 said: "The Inheritance wasn’t perfect, but it still resonated with me. I mean, I included both parts in my January and February trips. I wouldn’t have returned if it didn’t move me profoundly, warts and all.

While it would have been nice to see more gay actors cast in principle roles especially given the context/content of the play, it didn’t effect me at all once I was in the theater. It didn’t cross my mind once the play began as I was affected by those actors’ portrayals. I found them utterly convincing.

As mentioned before, there are regulations that prohibit asking auditioning actors what their sexual orientation is. Also, Lopez stated they tried to attract famous publicly out actors for casting, but were not successful. I choose to believe him.

It is very commonplace in our modern times that character casting breakdowns will include such wording as “seeking an openly gay actor for this role.” From Marvel to network television. I am not aware of any legal issues that have arisen from it. 

Also, the discrimination one sees in Hollywood against casting gay actors doesn’t seem to translate over to Broadway to the same degree where we’ve seen multiple examples of gay men cast in (and awarded for) heterosexual and gay roles.

There were many Broadway out gay actors who were passed over for audition appointments for this show. Out gay “Broadway famous” faces that you would know. People talk and this was common knowledge during the casting period. Others were fired from the workshop, as word was, the cast read “too gay” and folks were afraid the gayness would alienate audiences. I disagree largely with your assessment of Hollywood vs Broadway challenges. 

I have to say that while I enjoyed The Boys in The Band revival, it was more a thrilling event because of the casting of an all gay cast and seeing it with an almost gay audience. The play itself is just okay and none of the performances were what I’d call award-worthy except for Robin de Jesús. Of course, they could only work with the book they were given. It was a thrilling event, not great theater.

Yes, the all gay casting made this production a very special event. Bless Ryan Murphy. If that casting could make a somewhat dull play into an exciting event, imagine how a similar approach could have made the great text of The Inheritance soar to heights unknown!

I saw Angels in America on that same trip and it will remain one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. Of course, it helps that the script is a near masterpiece and it was expertly directed. But it was also perfectly acted by the entire cast, led by Garfield’s masterful performance. In fact, I’d say he and Elaine May’s are my two favorite performances I’ve ever seen in a play.

We disagree on Garfield. I was enraged by his performance, what I would call the equivalent of him doing “gay face.” I was incredibly offended, as were many others. 

During the same season as TBINB, I also saw the Torch Song revival and while I also enjoyed it and I love Michael Urie, it paled in comparison to Angels and Garfield’s performance. I was actually disappointed that of the three Tony nominated revivals (TBINB, Torch Song, The Waverly Gallery), TBINB won. In my mind, The Waverly Gallery should have hands-down won. But I felt like the voters wanted to support the event that was TBINB over what I found to be profoundly, intimately moving theater (The Waverly Gallery).

Michael Urie was the only out gay actor in Torch Song, which again, I think was unfortunate and read onstage in some stiff work. I thought Urie was far superior to Garfield I might add. 

Also, speaking of Angels in America, the “woke” police practically forced Lee Pace to publicly out himself in response to the criticism of his casting. Surely, no one thinks that’s cool.

Huh? Ian McKellan outted Lee Pace in 2014. Lee didn’t address it until Angels. 

Ian McKellan outs Pace

So, would it have been great if more gay men were cast in lead roles in The Inheritance? Sure, if they could play the roles as well as this cast did. Was it a deal breaker? Not for me. Do I support an equal playing field for gay actors seeking to be cast in theatrical shows? Yes. Does that mean that gay men should be cast in every gay role? No. Is every instance of a straight actor being cast in gay role an example of homophobia? Also No.

I agree with you. But in a play that is quite literally about the “inherited” struggles of generations of gay people, its embarrassing that there aren’t any gay actors in principal roles. You support that?

Again, yes in a perfect world anyone should be able to play anything. But the fact is, as The Inheritance purports, gay people have historically been shut out of many many opportunities to represent their stories and culture in meaningful work. It’s done out of, I don’t know, producers fear of alienating a broader audience, deep set self-loathing by gay folks and possibly an infatuation with straight guys, I can’t say why! But I will say that I believe it’s not right.  
 

And audiences weren’t compelled. To spread word of mouth, or come in the first place. 
 

I think this production missed out on an opportunity to be a true “theatrical event”—in actuality and PR opportunities— to really proudly represent the community that it purports to celebrate. (Or/and make money off of?)

Just my opinion, folks. No reason to send out the attack dogs. "

We’re just responding. Passionately. 
 

Also, I’ve invested way too much time in the autopsy of this play to go back and find the specific post—but to the person who earlier said something to the effect of “there aren’t outward physical identifiers to denote someone being gay—so anyone can play gay roles”.. 

Do you also think say, Jonathon Pryce should have rightly played The Engineer in Miss Saigon if he could outwardly “appear” that he was from an Asian background? Or more to recent topics, should Scarlett Johansson have played trans in that one film she was cast in? Should any actor play any role if they can thru whatever means “outwardly appear” to represent that background? Where do you draw that line, and why?


 

*Side note, many Hollywood actors have said they wouldn’t accept a gay role, in solidarity with underrepresented gay actors.

Example:

Darren Cris Won’t Play Gay Again

 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 10:27pm

SouthernCakes said: "I do think if this show had been developed here in the states it would be radically different. "

It was commissioned and workshopped by Hartford Stage; they ultimately did not decide to produce it. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 2/23/20 at 10:43pm

Oh that’s interesting to know! I just think had it been developed here it would never have been commissioned to be 7 hours long. It just doesn’t warrant it. It feels padded. And the whole thing doesn’t feel “epic” the way the Angels revival felt or even Boys in the Band. It never felt like an event.