Executive Director of PhillyGayCalendar

Comedy and the Fag Word

The other night at a comedy show, two of my peers used anti-gay epithets from the stage. And it wasn’t in the context of some brilliant bit of satire. It was just, "What a faggot" and "that guy’s being a fag." I sat through three utterances and then I got up and walked out. Before too long, I had to come right back, though, because I was set to host another comedy show at the same venue afterward. It was awkward. One of the comics who used the epithets offered an apology, but I didn’t let him off easy, because he said things like "You didn’t have to walk out" and "I’m sorry you were offended."

Trouble in Mind: Thoughts on ‘A New Brain’

Gordon Schwinn, the lead character in William Finn’s ‘A New Brain’, is fighting to stay alive from the moment he first sets foot on stage. The musical, which is being given an invigorating, insightful local production by Plays & Players, follows Gordon as he faces hospitalization and surgery for a seemingly terminal brain defect, all while struggling to continue his craft of songwriting and balance his fraying relationships. Just another fun-filled evening of singing and dancing, right?