Spirited Spoof

Nothing is sacred as Playhouse 22 takes some of history’s oldest stories and shakes them up.

By: Mary Jasch
   All the stage’s a flutter these days at Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick as actors get ready for their first performance of the controversial play, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. The buzz of a community astir accompanies them.
   "The play is an adult comedy," says Ray Dobrovolsky, president of Playhouse 22. "It pokes fun and challenges sexual roles, creation, being straight versus being gay, faith, relationships and how did it all come about. It’s a comical spoof of topical themes. It can certainly offend someone."
   This is a show of daring and do, and director Mark Kalet invites theater-goers to judge for themselves when the East Brunswick Community Players at Playhouse 22 present Paul Rudnick’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told Feb. 7-March 1.

"Sara

TimeOFF photos/Frank Wojciechowski
At left, Sara Peters and Wayne Harris (top row), and Michelle Russell and John Dowgin rehearse a scene from Playhouse 22’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.
"The
By concensus, the actors want people who aren’t gay to understand that the characters are people in a relationship going through trouble, regardless of their sexuality. It’s a universal story.


   The two-act play rolls from the planet’s creation to the year 0 in Act I, with Act II spanning one evening — Christmas Eve in Manhattan. Its vignettes parallel the Old and New testaments, one cause of the controversial melée.
   The curtain opens to actor Barbara Gurskey, who plays God, or the stage manager, creating the world. She sits on stage and orchestrates the entire play and says the role is one of the most interesting she’s ever had.
   The first scene is the Garden of Eden with couples Adam and Steve and Jane and Mabel, the first gay people. Wayne Harris plays Adam, a spiritual, wide-eyed innocent who embarks on a soul-searching journey. "When the curtain opens, I’m in my underwear," Mr. Harris says. "Then all of a sudden, out comes another guy in his underwear — and the fact that there’s Adam and Steve… There are a lot of things that’ll make people sit up and take notice, but if they listen to the play itself, it’s beautiful."
   Howard Whitmore, Actor No. 2, plays a rhinoceros on the ark, the gay ark that no one ever knew about. In the play, nobody knows the heterosexual ark, or heterosexual people for that matter, exists until they meet up with it. Additionally in Act I, he portrays a married father, and also Brad, the Pharaoh’s boyfriend. Jon Heron, Actor No. 1, plays the Pharaoh and Father Joseph Markham, a conservative minister.
   "The first 20 minutes is a litmus test of just how homophobic you are," says Mr. Harris. "Once you get through that part and listen to the characters, it’s fascinating."
   One obstacle he has to deal with is taking off his clothes in front of hundreds of people. "It was a big worry for me," he says, "but I’ve lost 15 pounds. It put me on a diet."
   Act II takes place in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. "The first act is an allegory that led to where these friends are today. By Act II, everyone but one character is gay," says Mr. Whitmore, who reappears as Kevin Markham, a gay club boy. He enters the stage as a Go Go elf on his way to a Christmas party. "Kevin has been there and seen everything, but is still innocent and hopeful," he says. "I love the way the play is set up. There is nothing in it that offended my sensibilities. Everyone told me that it was this big controversial thing, but I read it and I didn’t find any of that. That’s my personal opinion as a gay guy. I know there are people who will find some stereotypes offensive — a Chelsea go-go boy is stereotypical, but any play you see plays off stereotypes."
   Mr. Heron, the ex-pharaoh and priest, now plays Trey Pomfret. "He’s a very gay, waspy Connecticut man who is a friend of Adam and Steve," he explains.
   Adam, a.k.a. Mr. Harris, has a strong relationship with God and Steve has little faith. They deal with their differences through love. Faith for Mr. Harris extends to the present. "I never had to kiss a guy," he says. So how does he know he can do it? "Mark, the director, has such faith in us and is so positive and sensitive to the material. He feels safe with us and we feel safe with him."
   The director first saw the play off Broadway three years ago and presented the idea to the board of Playhouse 22. "I had a great time seeing it. I was a little surprised they accepted it," Mr. Kalet says. "When I saw it in the Village, they went a little further than we’re going to go."
   A play like this is challenging to do in a community theater, says Mr. Dobrolovsky. As a producer of Playhouse 22, he appreciated its humor and looked at how they could present it. "The board of directors’ decision to contribute an evening’s proceeds to the Hyacinth Foundation seemed a natural," he says.
   By concensus, the actors want people who aren’t gay to understand that the characters are people in a relationship going through trouble, regardless of their sexuality. It’s a universal story.
   "It’s clearly written from a gay perspective," says Mr. Heron. "I like the fact it makes no attempt to sugarcoat anything for an audience that is not gay. The point of view is like ‘it’s a gay world out there. Oh wait a minute, there are other people out there who are not gay.’"
   He likes that the play has an edge to it, and that it forces people to face their own issues. "From a gay perspective, it turns the world around for most people watching the play," Mr. Heron says, "for suddenly they’re watching something from a perspective that’s very different from theirs. It’s especially button-pushing."
   The director believes that some people will be offended, but faith prevails. "I’d like to put out a challenge and say this play will offend you, and all the people who think they’re not so easily offended, come on down," Mr. Kalet says. "It’s a sweet story — a story about love and faith. Everything else is dressing."
   And spirit is high among the East Brunswick Community Players, too. "I’m really proud of Playhouse 22 because it’s not something they would usually put on. It’s a big step for them. I think they’re really brave," says Mr. Harris. "Give it a chance. You’re going to laugh no matter who you are or what you believe. It’s a fun night."
The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told plays at Playhouse 22, 210 Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick, Feb. 7-March 1. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.; Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m. (Hyacinth AIDS benefit performance). Tickets cost $20, $16 seniors/students. For information, call (732) 254-3939. On the Web: www.playhouse22.org