CAN I BE FRANK? Reviews

[1 Minute Critic]

Posted: 8/5/25 at 11:03am

Morgan Bassichis writes and stars in Can I Be Frank? directed by Sam Pinkleton.

You want Morgan Bassichis at your next dinner party. That is, if they’re anything like their onstage persona in Can I Be Frank?, Bassichis’ quirky, meandering, enraged, and brilliantly conceived riff on the life and impact of performance artist Frank Maya. 

Unless you’re a queer of a certain age, a particular fan of New York City’s downtown theater scene, or up late-night binge-watching early 90s comedy specials, Maya may have passed you by. Not because of lack of talent, but because—like thousands of gay men before the introduction of protease inhibitors—he died too soon from AIDS-related complications.

The obsession culminates in a tribute performance of Maya’s haunting compositions (he was also a gifted composer with an eerie Jonathan Larson-esque quality) and a rousing manifesto in which Bassichis outlines the multitudes of ways we can honor our queer history. In a world where so many LGBTQ+ voices continue to be silenced, we’re fortunate to have artists like Morgan Bassichis dragging these essential stories (like that absurdly long corded mic) back into the spotlight where they belong.
Full Review HERE