theater

The music plays an important role in Torch Song as it helps the audience understand the era of when the play took place. Even without the neon sign that told the audience the year that the events of Torch Song occurred, they wouldn’t have trouble knowing. Most of the music in the play is disco music. Disco music was mainly popular in the late 1970’s to early 1980’s, when Torch Song takes place. In addition, disco music has always had a deep connection to the gay community. Initially, disco music was only popular in the gay community. During that time, you would mostly hear disco music in gay bars or clubs. When Ed meets Arnold for the first time in one of these club, the audience can hear disco music blaring from the background. Torch Song gave me a new perspective on what it means to be in love and what it means to know who you are and the music helped accentuate these things.

The acting was incredible. All actors possessed really good physical skills, such as the actor for Arnold, who had amazing gestures. He, along with everyone else, was very confident and you can tell they had a great passion for what they were doing. Projection was also great, as evidenced by the lack of microphones. But what was truly amazing was their ability to stay in focus, specifically during the “fugue in a nursery” scene. There were multiple characters and situations occurring at the same place and time, yet the actors were able to isolate each scene and not get distracted by the other.

A gesture is a movement that involves a part of the body or the whole body and conveys a point. Gestures add a lot to a performance. They add so much meaning, character, life, and can convey so much about an individual. This was especially the case in the play Torch Song, which is currently playing on off-broadway. The facial features and movements of each of the six characters, Arnold, Ed, Alan, Laurel, David, and Arnold’s mother reflected their true nature.

Arnold was a man who was just looking for love and respect. His inability to find that from people who are so close to him, like his mom, made him a fairly unstable character during his young adulthood. His gestures were very sporadic, random, and wild. He always made jokes to hide his misery and unhappiness.

Ed was trying to create a “normal” life for himself, which consisted of hiding the fact that he is gay by marrying a woman and eventually starting a family with her. Ed previously had an intimate relationship with Arnold, but since this was against the “norm,” he quickly ended it to run off to a woman. Ed was a very smooth and flirtatious guy and that was seen through his gestures. He talked with people with charming eyes and was very touchy.

Alan was a young guy that Arnold first started dating for sex, but then grew to love. Alan was very young and this, too, was portrayed by his gestures. He seemed puzzled and confused most of the time, and had trouble understanding social cues.

Laurel was a woman whose heart has been broken one too many times. All she ever wanted was to get married and start a family. She just wanted to make Ed happy so that he would one day ask her the big question. Knowing the Ed’s previous lover was Arnold, Laurel mimicked Arnold in his actions so that Ed would love her. She over-exaggerated everything and tried making jokes and movements similar to that of Arnold.

David was a high-school student that was adopted by Arnold. David was very touchy, curious, and not afraid to enter into someone’s personal space. These gestures of his demonstrate his lack of a “normal” childhood.

Arnold’s mother was very old school. She was not too liberal. She had a strict code of rules which she believed one must follow to have a successful and purposeful life. Her strict manner was seen through her rigid movement.

All the actors in this play did a really good job with bringing their characters to life. Their gestures allowed the audience to learn so much more about the people in the play and made the play seem very real-life.

Torch Song Story

Torch Song is based on the Torch Song Trilogy. The original play consisted of three segments: International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First. The play was written by Harvey Fierstein and it is an autobiographical account of his life. The original play premiered in January 1982. When it originally premiered, the play was inspirational and groundbreaking

The play that we saw was a revival of the original Torch Song Trilogy. It has a shorter run time and cuts out some pieces from the original play, thereby shortening the play time from almost four hours to only two and a half hours. The storyline is set in the 1970 and 1980’s, yet it still resonates with us in 2017. The story is one that we can all empathize with: the search for love, the search for our true selves, and the search for acceptance.

Arnold Beckoff is an effeminate gay drag queen living in New York City. In the heart wrenching first act, we see Arnold find his stud, his one true love. After attempting to have a relationship with his new lover, Ed, his boyfriend decides to stay closeted and date a woman. Arnold is heartbroken that he is losing his perfect man, due to the fact that he is not a woman. This act portrays the heartbreak when people who are in love cannot be together due to: societal, political, or familial norms.

In the second act, “Fugue in a nursery”, we see the civilized mingling of Ed and his wife  (Laurel) with Arnold and his new lover(Alan). The scene is set in one big bed with everyone together. The bed symbolizes that they are in it together. In the sense that Ed and Arnold’s love for each other is affecting their new relationships. The scene was powerful in the sense that you see how superfluous Laurel and Allen are. They are the extra pieces of the intricate puzzle that did not need to be complicated. Ed and Arnold fit together perfectly but due to the rampant homophobia of the 1970s and 1980s, they were forced to be apart. This scene, although civil, showed the ramifications of Ed’s closeted lifestyle choice and Arnold’s longing for his lost “Stud”.

The third and final act is in some ways the most powerful. It shows Arnold grown up living on his own in Manhattan with a son (David) and mourning his lost love Allan. Arnold’s mother comes to town and her visit brings with it more baggage than her suitcase. We see Arnold and his homophobic mother’s (Ma) strained relationship. Arnold is happy and content with the life he has chosen, he followed his heart and lived proudly outside of the claustrophobic closet walls. We see that Ma loves Arnold very much and wants what she thinks is best for him. Arnold and Ma ultimately get into a fiery altercation. Through their angry words thrown at each other, we learn some valuable information, Allan was murdered in a hate crime. The heart-tugging scene that ensued was one of the most powerful scenes in the whole play. Arnold ends up telling Ma that if she can’t respect and love him then he doesn’t need her in his life “There’s one more thing you better understand. I have taught myself to sew, cook, fix plumbing, build furniture – I can even pat myself on the back when necessary – all so I don’t have to ask anyone for anything. There’s nothing I need from anyone except for love and respect and anyone who can’t give me those two things has no place in my life” (Fierstein 1982). This moment is a turning point in the play since Arnold opens up about his resilience and how he has learned to rely solely on himself. This is a super powerful message to, the audience, and the world, you do not need anyone else in the world for anything other than obtaining love and respect. People in our lives can be there to offer love and respect or for their own selfish purposes. This Message resonated with audience members in the 1970s and likewise in 2017.

At the end of the play, we see Arnold sitting on his couch clutching onto some valuable keepsakes. The options are endless, we as the audience don’t know how the story will end. Will Ed go back to Laurel? Or will Ed move in with Arnold and help raise David as his son. Will Ma ever come to fully accept Arnold and his lifestyle? These are all questions that will never be answered, yet they are not vital to the ending. Arnold is happy: he has a son, the possibility of a relationship with Ed, and for the first time in his life he feels as if he and his Mother have finally broken their veil of silence, and discussed his homosexuality. As the stage darkens, we all walk away enlightened, finally understanding the importance of love and acceptance in our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The use of costumes was very efficient in the show Torch Song. First of all, the transitions between all the costumes were very smooth and subtle. For instance, the main character, Arnold didn’t run backstage to change. Instead, he comfortably changed in front of the audience without letting it hinder his performance. In addition, during the scene, “Fugue in a Nursery,” the characters utilized the same costumes for the bedroom scenes and kitchen scenes. In fact, the whole time Alan was on stage, he was in his boxers. However, the actors were so skilled that they were able to let the audience infer the setting. Last but not least, the costumes were generally very casual and followed the 80’s theme. They also didn’t support the stereotypical mentality of homosexuals dressing differently than other people and were very generic with the exception of Arnold dressing in flamboyant dresses from time to time when he was playing the role of a “drag queen.”

The first scene was called International Stud. Before the play even started I saw a glimpse of the stage and I assumed that our class came too early and they weren’t ready yet. But then all of a sudden, the sign went up and I realized we were looking into the backstage area of a drag show. The dressing room was very messy, similar to Arnold’s life at the time. His head was cluttered with so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings. However, when Ed later came into the scene, the set was very simplistic, with minimal amounts of furniture. This represented his tough exterior and all the hidden emotions buried deep within. The next scene was Fugue on the Nursery. This scene used one long bed but utilized it as many different rooms throughout the play. It was used perfectly without confusing the audience in any way. The final scene was called widows and children first. That set looked like it was taken straight out of the 1980’s. The walls were all purple and the image of a bunny was everywhere. The separation of the different rooms aided the drama that happened on the stage. Also, the use of the very front of the stage made the audience feel very connected to the conversation that was happening between Ed and David. They felt so close that I was tempted to reach out and touch them.