Get to Know the Boys in the Band, Revived at PACA

Contributed

Join a locally-star-studded cast at PACA in April for their production of Boys in the Band, a groundbreaking play which premiered off-Broadway in 1968 and tells the story of a group of gay men at a birthday party, and the drama that ensues.

BEGINNING THURSDAY, MAY 1*

The original production of Boys in the Band, a groundbreaking play about a group of gay men who gather for a birthday party, played Off-Broadway in 1968, one year before the Stonewall Riots, at a time when queerness was criminalized and being gay meant staying hidden to stay safe. Fast forward to today and Michael Weiss, who is directing the upcoming production of the show at PACA, feels that, "the play, in a lot of ways, is more relevant today than it may have even been 60 years ago."

This isn't Weiss' first experience with Boys in the Band — the veteran director starred in a local performance of the play at the Erie Playhouse back in 1973. He comments, "At that time, the show was very controversial and we were one of the first community theaters in the nation to produce it. It was a different era." This version of the Boys in the Band is very faithful to that original production, and the cast that Weiss has put together is, as he puts it, "brilliant," featuring a slate of Erie theater all-stars including Patrick Vahey, Michael Haas, Zach Thomas, Jim Nash, AJ Holman, Howard Lang, Matt Fuchs, Brandon Vogt, and Zach Mota. "I was very lucky to be able to put all these men together and it's coming together beautifully," Weiss comments.

Weiss reflects on how the play has matured, both in subject matter and its impact, "This show is about a time when people still had to live in the closet. We have survived so much throughout gay history, and this show sends a message of acceptance to younger generations, and that it's still a tough road, but they're not alone."

The characters are inherently relatable, each having their own "issues," and as the evening wears on, and more and more drinks are consumed, drama and hilarity ensue. "I want to encourage people from different backgrounds and generations to come and see it — it's a fun show. The dialogue is very funny and the characters are funny and it really is an entertaining evening."

*Originally published dates have been changed. Fridays and Saturdays from May 2 through May 17 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 11 at 2 p.m. // PACA, 1505 State St. // $20 // For tickets and info: tickets.eriereader.com