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LGBTQ theatre
LGBTQ theatre (also known as gay theatre, lesbian theatre or queer theatre) is theatre that is based on the lives of gay and lesbian people and their culture. Some LGBTQ theatre is specifically about the experiences of gay men or lesbian women. Collectively, LGBTQ theatre forms part of LGBTQ culture.
Famous examples of LGBTQ theatre include the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson and the play Bent by Martin Sherman.
In Ancient Greece, homosexuality was considered normal and was even promoted in some settings. In Thebes, it was actively practiced and legally "incentivized". The theater was considered a "tool to promote society's values" and homosexuality was showcased in these plays. In Aristophanes' play The Knights, the protagonist Agoracritus openly admits to having been a "passive" partner. In another one of Aristophanes' plays, Thesmophoriazusae, the character of Euripides directs what could be seen as homophobic comments to his colleague Agathon. Other characters in the play ridicule his behavior and point out their obsession with masculinity. As the play is a comedy, many have interpreted the character as humorous. A theorized example of homosexuality in the Iliad is Achilles and Patroclus. Historians and contemporaries theorize that the characters had a more than platonic relationship. The story of Achilles and Patroclus was portrayed in William Shakespeare's play, Troilus and Cressida.
Due to both social and legal discrimination, the homosexual experience was hidden from theatrical audiences in the centuries following the downfall of Ancient Greece and leading up to the 20th century. Theatre during that time period is not known to have openly expressed any LGBTQ themes or ideas, although there were LGBTQ playwrights before 1900, such as Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), who imbued their theatrical works with their personality while keeping their sexual orientation a secret. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the idea of homosexuality was not only stigmatized but also criminalized in many places around the world. In the UK, the punishment for any act of sodomy was execution. Additionally, there was a shift in the understanding of homosexuality in the 18th century where to "commit sodomy" became no longer simply an act but a larger stain on one's entire identity, making one a "sodomite". It would have been incredibly dangerous for playwrights, actors, producers, or anyone involved in a theatrical production to put on a play with gay characters during those years. However, gender-bending has a long theatrical tradition. In the era of Shakespeare, men would play women's roles in theatre. Women were not allowed to be actors, so men would dress up like women to portray female characters in the plays. This continued until the 19th century when the popularization of opera allowed women to access the world of theater.
In the United States, the New York City theatre scene was the center of LGBTQ theatre in the country during the mid-20th century. Caffe Cino was the birthplace of Off-Off Broadway, where The Madness of Lady Bright, the first admittedly LGBTQ play was performed in 1964. The show was the longest-running at the Caffe Cino and was performed over 200 times to packed houses.
Four years later, the first LGBTQ play to be on Off-Broadway, was performed, The Boys in the Band. This play garnered serious attention, as it was performed at a legitimate playhouse. Although reactions were mixed, The Boys in the Band cemented a legacy for itself and is considered one of the classic LGBTQ plays.
By 1983, a mainstream LGBTQ musical on Broadway was performed. La Cage aux Folles was a musical based on the 1978 movie La Cage aux Folles. The story surrounds a middle-aged homosexual couple who learns how deep their love truly is after navigating obstacles. The play was groundbreaking because of the characterization of its main characters, one being the owner of a Saint-Tropez drag club and the other its star performer. The play received high praise and won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1984. It was performed 1,761 times, and was revived in the fall of 2004.
The mid-20th century saw the rise of LGBTQ plays and the popularization of them. Even with the stigma around the LGBTQ community, especially with the rise in the AIDS epidemic, LGBTQ pride and media were becoming mainstream. Plays, TV shows, and films about LGBT-identifying people were becoming common pieces of media. Popular musicals began to pop up throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the most famous being Rent, which came out in the 1990s. The musical is set in the early 1990s, and it centers around a group of New Yorkers, as they struggle with their careers, love lives, and the AIDS epidemic. The play was seen as groundbreaking and was performed over 5,000 times and ran for 12 years. The legacy that Rent produced allowed for a range of LGBTQ productions to be performed across the world. Subsequent notable American LGBTQ musicals include Fun Home, The Prom, and A Strange Loop.
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LGBTQ theatre
LGBTQ theatre (also known as gay theatre, lesbian theatre or queer theatre) is theatre that is based on the lives of gay and lesbian people and their culture. Some LGBTQ theatre is specifically about the experiences of gay men or lesbian women. Collectively, LGBTQ theatre forms part of LGBTQ culture.
Famous examples of LGBTQ theatre include the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson and the play Bent by Martin Sherman.
In Ancient Greece, homosexuality was considered normal and was even promoted in some settings. In Thebes, it was actively practiced and legally "incentivized". The theater was considered a "tool to promote society's values" and homosexuality was showcased in these plays. In Aristophanes' play The Knights, the protagonist Agoracritus openly admits to having been a "passive" partner. In another one of Aristophanes' plays, Thesmophoriazusae, the character of Euripides directs what could be seen as homophobic comments to his colleague Agathon. Other characters in the play ridicule his behavior and point out their obsession with masculinity. As the play is a comedy, many have interpreted the character as humorous. A theorized example of homosexuality in the Iliad is Achilles and Patroclus. Historians and contemporaries theorize that the characters had a more than platonic relationship. The story of Achilles and Patroclus was portrayed in William Shakespeare's play, Troilus and Cressida.
Due to both social and legal discrimination, the homosexual experience was hidden from theatrical audiences in the centuries following the downfall of Ancient Greece and leading up to the 20th century. Theatre during that time period is not known to have openly expressed any LGBTQ themes or ideas, although there were LGBTQ playwrights before 1900, such as Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), who imbued their theatrical works with their personality while keeping their sexual orientation a secret. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the idea of homosexuality was not only stigmatized but also criminalized in many places around the world. In the UK, the punishment for any act of sodomy was execution. Additionally, there was a shift in the understanding of homosexuality in the 18th century where to "commit sodomy" became no longer simply an act but a larger stain on one's entire identity, making one a "sodomite". It would have been incredibly dangerous for playwrights, actors, producers, or anyone involved in a theatrical production to put on a play with gay characters during those years. However, gender-bending has a long theatrical tradition. In the era of Shakespeare, men would play women's roles in theatre. Women were not allowed to be actors, so men would dress up like women to portray female characters in the plays. This continued until the 19th century when the popularization of opera allowed women to access the world of theater.
In the United States, the New York City theatre scene was the center of LGBTQ theatre in the country during the mid-20th century. Caffe Cino was the birthplace of Off-Off Broadway, where The Madness of Lady Bright, the first admittedly LGBTQ play was performed in 1964. The show was the longest-running at the Caffe Cino and was performed over 200 times to packed houses.
Four years later, the first LGBTQ play to be on Off-Broadway, was performed, The Boys in the Band. This play garnered serious attention, as it was performed at a legitimate playhouse. Although reactions were mixed, The Boys in the Band cemented a legacy for itself and is considered one of the classic LGBTQ plays.
By 1983, a mainstream LGBTQ musical on Broadway was performed. La Cage aux Folles was a musical based on the 1978 movie La Cage aux Folles. The story surrounds a middle-aged homosexual couple who learns how deep their love truly is after navigating obstacles. The play was groundbreaking because of the characterization of its main characters, one being the owner of a Saint-Tropez drag club and the other its star performer. The play received high praise and won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1984. It was performed 1,761 times, and was revived in the fall of 2004.
The mid-20th century saw the rise of LGBTQ plays and the popularization of them. Even with the stigma around the LGBTQ community, especially with the rise in the AIDS epidemic, LGBTQ pride and media were becoming mainstream. Plays, TV shows, and films about LGBT-identifying people were becoming common pieces of media. Popular musicals began to pop up throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the most famous being Rent, which came out in the 1990s. The musical is set in the early 1990s, and it centers around a group of New Yorkers, as they struggle with their careers, love lives, and the AIDS epidemic. The play was seen as groundbreaking and was performed over 5,000 times and ran for 12 years. The legacy that Rent produced allowed for a range of LGBTQ productions to be performed across the world. Subsequent notable American LGBTQ musicals include Fun Home, The Prom, and A Strange Loop.