Review: Open Stage’s “The Boys in the Band” Delivers Emotional Intensity

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An intense and thought-provoking play on stage through June 13th

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The Boys in the Band premiered Off-Broadway in 1968. Set in the 1960s, this ground-breaking play by Mart Crowley centers on a group of gay men gathered together in New York City for a birthday party. As the evening wears on and the alcohol flows, the characters face bitter truths and deep resentments. The Boys in the Band opened on Broadway in 2018, featuring a cast of openly gay actors who later brought the play to the screen in a 2020 Netflix movie. In reflecting on the original script with the advent of the 2020 Netflix adaptation, writer Glen Weldon states, “Crowley didn't create the self-lacerating queens of The Boys in the Band to reflect our best selves, but to capture and display something essential about our true selves, at a time when most gay men were still hiding theirs away” ( https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/917742157/the-boys-in-the-band-raging-gracefully ). Open Stage presents The Boys in the Band May 23-June 13 under the direction of Stuart Landon with stage manager Stacy Reck.

The set, featuring the work of scenic designer and technical director Kalina Barrett, scenic charge artist Heather Jannetta, set dressers Stuart Landon and Jacob Schlenker, and prop master Rachel Landon , is brilliantly designed and decorated to invite the audience into a 1960s New York City apartment. While the living room is the main focus, the use of angles, levels, and a scrim enable the audience to see action happening in other rooms. The costume design by Jacob Schlenker is wonderfully period-specific and specifically chosen to highlight each character’s personality. The lighting design by Tristan Stasiulus and sound design by Anthony Pieruccini with audio consultant Wayne Landon set the scene for the birthday party at the start of the show, with subtle changes throughout to show not only the passage of time, but also the changes in mood and tensions.

The cast is spectacular. Their interactions are beautifully acted, with every gesture and look subtly revealing elements of their characters’ past and present relationships with one another. Individually, each actor shows a deep level of understanding of his character—the character’s moods, fears, insecurities, loves, and hidden truths. Together, this cast creates a complex, engaging, and intense performance.

Joshua Dorsheimer takes on the role of Harold, a character the audience originally meets only through the comments made by other characters so that, by the time Harold enters the scene, the audience already has certain preconceptions of him. This could be a difficult image to live up to, but Dorsheimer meets this challenge head-on. His Harold is fastidious and image-conscious. At times cold, aloof, and self-absorbed, Harold is the only one who can force Michael to see the deep motivations behind his actions. Dorsheimer’s posture and expression illuminate these aspects of Harold’s personality, as his laugh and line delivery give Harold’s dry humor a delightfully sharp edge.

Brad Barkdoll is an audience favorite as Cowboy, Emory’s birthday gift to Harold. Starting with his exuberant, hysterical entrance, Barkdoll’s antics as Cowboy lightens the mood and keeps the audience laughing. He has perfected a somewhat vacant look that plays up the fact that Cowboy generally has no idea why the others find him so amusing. In the end, even this comedic character offers a moment of real emotion and self-reflection with his final line, delivered in a way that makes it sound like a throw-away line while having profound weight.

Marcus McGhee portrays Bernard, an African-American librarian. McGhee’s performance shows Bernard to be a mild-mannered, intelligent, caring man who struggles with the intersection of systemic racism and homophobia. His bearing, mannerisms, and even way of speaking are a stark contrast to his close friend Emory’s flamboyant personality. His story-telling prowess is highlighted as he shares his experience of unrequited love, his feelings after making the fateful phone call, and his elucidation of the nuances of his friendship with Emory.

The role of Emory is beautifully embodied by Calian Byard. Byard throws himself into this role with total commitment to the character. From his impressive fan work to his walk to his exuberant gestures, his Emory is full of life and good humor. Byard’s incredible emotional range is highlighted in his fight (choreographed by Joseph Chubb) with Jason Samarin ’s Alan and as he takes his turn playing the “game”. The audience can feel his character’s surprise, hurt, fear, and anger during and after the fight, his courage and compassion as he forgives Alan, and his deep well of anguish as he recalls his first love.

Larry, the artist who struggles with the confines of commitment, is portrayed by Cory Metcalf. From the moment he enters the scene, Metcalf’s unspoken reactions to the others in the room speaks volumes. The audience can immediately feel the tension between Larry and Hank and a secret hanging between Larry and Donald. Metcalf’s expressive eyes and voice are riveting as he passionately explains Larry’s feelings, struggles, and need for both love and freedom. The interactions between Metcalf’s Larry and Joseph Chubb’s Hank during the game are heart-wrenching and touching.

Joseph Chubb gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as Hank, the soon to be divorced teacher who got tired of lying to himself. Hank clearly still struggles with allowing others to know about his sexuality, often passing as straight, as demonstrated in his interactions with Jason Samarin ’s Alan. Chubb’s Hank comes across as the strong, silent type, providing a calming presence as tensions continue to mount throughout the party. Larry’s compassion, loyalty, and love for his friends and boyfriend Larry is beautifully performed by Chubb.

Jason Samarin portrays Alan, Michael’s former roommate who appears at the party unexpectedly and finds himself confronted by his own deep-seated prejudices. As his character’s emotions swing from straight-laced formality to complete uncertainty to violent anger to devastating self-loathing to heart-felt apology to resolute determination, Samarin holds tension in different parts of his body to portray each of these emotions so that he practically vibrates with his character’s feelings. His performance is a master-class in the use of tension and energy in creating emotion.

The role of Donald, Michael’s book-loving friend who moved away from the city and has been working with a therapist to develop healthy ways of dealing with personal trauma, is performed by Zach Haines . Haines infuses his character with a calm, observant, thoughtful manner. Even when his character is quietly observing from the sidelines, he is still fully engaged with the scene. His repartee with TJ Creedon’s Michael at the beginning of the play is delightful, with terrific pacing that makes it feel natural. In his final scene with Creedon, the audience gets the sense that Donald’s progress toward self-acceptance is something Michael longs for. It is a beautiful and heart-breaking moment.

TJ Creedon ties the show together as Michael, the host of the party and creator of the game, whose acerbic wit turns to cruelty with the addition of alcohol and Alan’s presence. Creedon’s Stage Presence and physical acting ability immediately capture the audience’s attention from the moment he steps on stage in a completely silent (except for the audience’s laughter) scene where Michael is attempting to arrange things perfectly for the party. The way in which Creedon alters his expression, tone of voice, and movements to transition from suave, funny party host to brutally manipulative game master to guilt-ridden, self-loathing man is mesmerizing. The audience cannot help but feel conflicted about Michael as they hate his relentless emotional brutality directed against his friends, yet feel compassion for his own internal struggles.

The production of The Boys in the Band at Open Stage may be one of the most emotionally intense performances of the season. The two-hour run time doesn’t feel nearly that long as the actors breathe life into the characters and their stories. In the words of director Stuart Landon , “Nearly 60 years after its premiere, The Boys in the Band remains funny, heartbreaking, sharp, tender, and deeply honest. It’s an important piece of theatre history. An important piece of LGBTQ history.” Don’t miss out on your opportunity to see this stunning production of The Boys in the Band . Visit openstagehbg.com for more information.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/central-pa/article/Review-THE-BOYS-IN-THE-BAND-at-Open-Stage-20260524)._