Midway through the first act of Terrence McNally’s 2007 Some Men, a surface-skipping journey along a singularly privileged arc of modern gay history, Michael and Camus connect in an AOL chat room. Amid the cruisy, bitchy chatter they find a deeper bond, at least momentarily. It turns out the last book both men read was the Bible. Michael seems something of a biblical scholar; when Camus mentions the verse that led him to turn to the scriptures—”Son, observe the time and fly from evil”—Michael can instantly cite it. But for Camus, the Bible was a novelty, and he was drawn in primarily because “there were good people and there were bad people and there were people like me.” A minute later Michael blocks Camus’s messages so he can arrange to fuck an anonymous barebacking leather daddy.
Directors David Zak and Derek Van Barham wisely avoid making more of the play than the script might suggest. This is no sweeping historical pageant or a chest-thumping pridefest but a series of private moments that form historical snapshots. While the lion’s share of these moments, no matter how well played, feel largely self-evident or inconsequential—as McNally prefers making points to creating dramatic import—the modesty of the production invites an audience to focus on the small human details, which is precisely where this production is strongest.
Through 9/13: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 4 and 6 PM Rivendell Theatre 5779 N. Ridge 800-838-3006pridefilmsandplays.com $25 Thu, $30 Fri-Sun
