Frank Rich and His Gay Mentor

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:43pm

Extraordinary article by Frank Rich in this week's New York magazine about a theater manager who was instrumental in Rich's early life.


Clayton Coots in front of the Blackstone Theatre in 1966.




FRANK RICH: Ancient Gay History … is really just yesterday. My surrogate parent Clayton Coots was one of countless closeted men who didn’t live long enough to see this moment.

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:23pm

Wow. That is amazing. Thank you Frank (and PJ).

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:26pm

^ Ditto what JoeKv99 said.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:32pm

I can't wait to get home and read it, the name sounds familiar from Rich's excellent "Ghost Light" book.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 5:12pm

Namo, I believe he was the mentor in the book who was obsessed with "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here." Ghost Light is one of my favorite theater-related books.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 5:15pm

Yes, he is--he used to play the piano all alone in the Martin Beck, with only the ghost light.

Updated On: 5/28/13 at 05:15 PM

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 6:40pm

Fascinating. Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this!

Updated On: 5/28/13 at 06:40 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:33pm

That's a gorgeous article. Frank Rich is such an insightful man.

I loved, "Dear Pal Frank."

And this really resonated with me:

Thus the Clayton Coots story, like so many others of his time, trails off into fragments, ellipses, and mysterious dead ends.

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 2:33pm

So who headed the '63 touring cast of Shot in the Dark?
Perhaps someone with the Best Plays or some such source could look it up and let us know.

[IAMWHATIAM]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 3:01pm

That's a really wonderful and moving piece. Thanks for posting it.

[jv92]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 4:01pm

Beautiful piece. Frank and I have been in touch over the years, and I had the great pleasure to share with him how deeply moved I was by it the other day. GHOST LIGHT is my favorite book. Period.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 8:06pm

Wow, I misted up reading that. Reminded me of my uncle Beau, he was married to my mom's step sister and was a test pilot during the "Right STuff" period, late sixties. A very refined Southern Gentleman, cultured, smart and funny. He ended up getting bashed one night in a motel. He was a closeted homosexual who every so often would go out drinking and pick up tricks and take them to cheap motels. They were trapped in a very different day and age.