Significant Other - OBC Livestream - 5/14/20 — Page 3

I thought Glick was good- but his constant smile- and those teeth constantly showing- seemed a bit much. STOP WITH THE TEETH.

Part of me thinks the real reason Gideon wasn't nominated was voters thought it wasn't a stretch, that he was a young nebbishy gay man playing a young nebbishy gay man. Voters maybe didn't know enough about Gideon as a person to realize there was actual superb acting involved. Reminds of when Nathan Lane wasn't nominated for The Birdcage, because it was a gay man playing a gay man, so there wasn't much "range."

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Glick's demeanor is off for this character- he is always smirking and smiling a big toothy grin- and rarely seems depressed or low energy. This is not a convincing performance in my opinion- he is way too lit and sparkly to inhabit the role of a very needy, insecure and lonely guy. That is why I would think he was not deemed award worthy- I love this play- but the character of Jordan needs to be lower key- moody, unhappy- and then his kvetching would seem more in character with his outward behavior. My opinion- but I do not think Glick realistically captured the character of Jordan.

Updated On: 5/16/20 at 04:01 PM

Yes- that scene with the email was excellent- but did that constant smirk not bother anyone but me?

I do understand facades- and of course, people who might be unhappy might react as overly happy to compensate. And I do not view Jordan at all as a self-involved millennial- I view him as a confused and needy person who has not found his way. He is not confident and a poor self concept is probably sabotaging relationships that might actually have some potential to work. I, personally, have experienced, as a younger person- and still as an older person- though I am in a long term relationship with a great guy- 24 years and counting- some degree of loneliness and self- doubt- so I can very much relate to the character of Jordan. I thought the ending, where he does wish his friend Laura well- showed some degree of self awareness- and the ability to grow and self correct. So the ending, to me, was hopeful and might signal a degree of maturity and self respect. I thought this play was very relatable. And at age 29, Jordan really does many chapters oohed of him. He seems to be capable of being a good friend- and probably would be a loyal and loving partner - when and if he is able to gain a bit more self respect and self confidence. My problem with Glick's portrayal was, for me, he was too genuinely sparkly and smiley- and he did not capture at all the angst of this character- except only occasionally when a dramatic scene occurred. I thought he did not realistically capture the character as written- and that of his mugging actually detracted from his performance. I love the play- and love all of the plays of the Harmon- loved Bad Jews and also loved Skintight- and had tickets to Admissions in London in March- which of course, I had to cancel due to caronvirus. Anyway, that is my take on it.

Updated On: 5/16/20 at 05:48 PM

Fair enough, BBaby2. I've known people who smile in a maybe creepy, inappropriate way and I think that was the choice here. Obviously, it took you somewhere you wish it hadn't. (FWIW I DO think that is Jordan's character.)

Another point or two here. Jordan is undernourished and underdeveloped emotionally. The key, however, is in the interaction with his grandmother. Listen to those convos, not the window dressing. And one more thing: note that it is his grandmother he talks to; what brought that about? Harmon is too good a playwright to tell us.

I also loved Barbara Barrie- very touching, emotional and real- and her take on life- and her very knowing advice to Jordan- was great advice to us all. Harmon, for me, is one of my favorite authors- up there with my other favorites- Albee and O'Neill- all three are different- but all three seem to speak to me. Harmon is young and I hope has many more plays in him. Have to say I thought Skintight was one of the most entertaining nights in the theater I have had- loved that play- but love all of his work so far that I have seen.

i related very much to Jordan. I’ve had people who knew me in high school and before comment about how much I laughed and smiled back then which is interesting because I was in my own private hell in my childhood, increasingly in my teenage years. That humorous demeanor disguised an anguished interior. And then I spent about three decades (20’s to end of my 40’s at least) intermittently thinking there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t find anyone to love me. And I was a mental health professional. Granted, all the guys I picked were all emotionally unavailable. That I picked them was on me. That they were emotionally unavailable was on them. I turn 56 on Friday and I’ve accepted a long term relationship is probably not meant for me. And that’s okay. Not sure I would even want one now anyway. I’ve had a pretty great life overall. Granted I had mental health issues back then, BUT those were partially the result of society’s homophobia which I and other men I tried to date internalized. I love Jordan. I was him. So many scenes ran parallel to my own life. To dismiss him as a mental case is to miss the point. He may have mental health issues, but that is in part a reaction to the society he finds himself in. Mostly, he’s trying very hard, but is still very lonely.

Thanks. Not as much to post about these days it seems. LOL.

MrsSally- I do not see the ending as necessarily dark- the character of Jordan had a lot of things going in his favor- he was a very sincere kind of guy- capable of real friendship- capable of listening to good advice- he was humble enough to go to Laura's wedding and wish her well- he enjoys being with people- and his desire to meet and greet guys has not diminished. Perhaps he will continue to plug away, until he finds someone who he loves and loves him- kind of like I did. Another thing in his favor that could point to a happier life in the future- he does not abuse drugs or alcohol- he is capable of expressing deep feelings to his friends- and he is a loving grandson. So, though he is going through that rough chapter- I see the ending as basically open ended- a very good ending to a very good play.

Does anyone know if this is still available to stream anywhere?