IF “GAY THEATER” is fed as beg by, for, and about uncloseted gay people, then 2014 arguably marks the 50th anniversary of the genre’s existence.
Contents:
- 1964: THE BIRTH OF GAY THEATER
- THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
1964: THE BIRTH OF GAY THEATER
* lgbt theatre *
IF “GAY THEATER” is fed as beg by, for, and about uncloseted gay people, then 2014 arguably marks the 50th anniversary of the genre’s existence. In 1964, spe a social climate of homophobia that pervad Amerin life for the send third of the 20th century, two one-act plays prented Off-Off-Broadway at the Caffe Co revolutnized how gay characters uld be reprented theatrilly. Produced a readg of “Hnted Host” 2008 an eveng honorg Robert Patrick for his ntributn to gay theater over the past five s.
The plays marked a major cultural turng pot, nsirg the outright censorship that gay playwrights faced the precedg s. At the height of the Pansy Craze the late 1920s, Mae Wt penned The Drag, a “social problem” play that argued for sympathetic treatment of homosexuals.
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
In the first half of the 20th century, you uld be arrted for stagg a gay play. Theatr uld be packed and shows sold out, but that wouldn’t stop them om beg shut down for "obscene" ntent. * lgbt theatre *
Dranian measur om Cy Hall, cludg the passage of New York Cy’s 1927 “padlock bill, ” prohibed homosexual subject matter on the Broadway stage. A few years later, the Hays Co of 1934 banned imag of homosexualy on the Hollywood screen. Consequently, censorship of gay them theater and film was the norm the U.
Although Doric Wilson had wrten gay characters historil settgs for the Caffe Co as early as 1961 (Now She Danc! Satirized the trial of Osr Wil sympathetilly), the Wilson and Patrick one-acts were unique that both featured gay characters set the prent time who were not only open, but boisteroly fiant.
Time Out's gui to the bt LGBTQ+ theatre shows across London. Coverg everythg om lbian drama to queer baret to gay theatre classics, here's where to fd the latt LGBTQ+ shows across the cy. * lgbt theatre *
Beatniks, homosexuals, and alienated artists like Patrick were flockg to the Village om all over the untry the late ‘50s.
He emphasized the reprsed liv that most gay people led ral Ameri durg those years, and the extent to which most reprentatns offered were negative on:. I was a southwtern art fairy, and gays outsi major ci had to live totally unrground liv back then. People more remote parts of the untry were vaguely aware of the gay culture New York Cy, but an extremely negative way.