June 12 — Terrence McNally’s “Some Men” premieres (just in time for IndyPride)
Just as the public debate over same-sex marriage heats up again, the Phoenix Theatre shows “Some Men,” a humorous examination of how gay men have viewed marriage and commitment over the past 80 years.
When: Runs June 12 to July 19, see the Phoenix Theatre website for times
Where: The Phoenix Theatre 749 N. Park Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
“Some Men” is one of the most recent works by Terrence McNally, one of America’s foremost living playwrights. The Phoenix is staging it at a propitious moment, when the attention of society is again turning to the question of why and how some people are denied a right to marriage that is available to every other adult. “Some Men” has been criticized for superficiality and for remaining at the level of easily recognized stereotypes. Perhaps superficiality is the price to pay for looking at changes of attitudes and expectations over 80 years; perhaps stereotypes are a necessary way to hook the attention of straights; perhaps this is not the right venue for a serious discussion of how to extend basic civil rights to a discriminated segment of society … Seeing the play should answer those questions. Maybe the relevant comparison is the IndyPride Parade and Festival June 14: stereotypes are likely to abound as part of this celebration, some campy and intended to mock societal images, others embraced as part of one’s identity.
