This Summer, revival gold is happening at The Flea. TOSOS, the classic gay theatre company The Other Side of Silence, includes among its founders Doric Wilson, whose prescient-seeming “Forever After” captures an epic moment: Two gay men, in 1980 no less, are celebrating their first anniversary when — surprise! — they are joined by the Muse of Comedy and the Muse of Tragedy, who debate whether lasting love is even possible.
But first, our TOSOS hostess with the mostest provides an amuse-bouche to whet the appetite, and this means Danielle Frimer’s 2023 gem, “A Marriage is a Story We Tell and Keep Telling.” A winsome affianced couple is literally teetering on the brink of their ceremony when the baby blue “bride,” Fi (Preston Fox), locks himself in a broom closet… or is that a groom closet? Either way, Em (Jesse Reid) comes for him, and together they engage in rapid-fire dialogue reminiscent of Sondheim’s “Not Getting Married Today” from Company. Do we get a happy ending…? Stay tuned!
Roll forward almost 45 years from the original debut of “Forever After” and you’ll find that the more things change, the more they remain the same. There is still a question of whether LGBTQIA+ folx get a happy ending, and now the haters and baiters are coming after our queens! And we know from the “Queen’s Gambit,” you must always guard your queens!
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Dennis Corsi, there is an all-star cast. Chris Andersson, a founding member when TOSOS revived in 2002, is a veteran of the gritty and real performance spaces in OBIE territory, and as Melpomene, the oh-so Tragic Muse throws kerosene on the fire of “do the gays deserve to be happy.” In the point-counterpoint, foiled by the equally brilliant physical comedy of Pissi Myles as Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, Ms. Myles goes the distance to prove that happiness is everyone’s right. Tom (Reid) and David (Fox) are the birdies in this badminton game where each runs the gamut in asserting sexuality all over the spectrum, and the fourth wall is shattered, flooded, and flagrantly disregarded throughout.
All in all, an evening of full, barking laughter, joy, and love.
“Forever After” | Playing now through Aug. 26 | The Flea Theater, 20 Thomas St. | Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm | Get tickets via tososnyc.org/foreverafter.
