Remember that charming exchange between Suzanne Pleshette and Tippi Hedren, in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds?" Those words kept passing through my head on Sunday, as I sat through Harvey Fierstein's latest theatrical offering, "Casa Valentina."
The play is staged and acted beautifully. In fact, the artistry of its opening, one follow spot of light counter clockwise, centering on each character readying themselves for the party at hand, recalled, to me, at least, the theatrical artistry of "A Chorus Line." I have always had a healthy respect for Joe Mantello's work, which is why the actor in me has always wanted to work with him. And he gets beautiful results from his cast.
The problem is Harvey Fierstein. A playwright he is not.
True, he showed some promise decades back, in the then groundbreaking "Torch Song Trilogy." Over the years, he has sold himself out in a series of commercialized musical adaptations, but nothing there prepares one for the repugnance of what he has done here!
What starts out promisingly--and I know some may attack me, and, yes, I recognize that it was set in the pre-gay rights era of 1962--degenerates into a compendium of cliches involving self-loathing, homophobia, and the exclusion of homosexuals who may want to dress up, themselves. Listen, Harvey, you big, dumb thing, someone should have explained to you that, if one is going to be different, or write about such, allow them to have the courage of their convictions, and not cave in to the McCarthy-ite status quo, like your script seems to. You think I buy this crap??????? Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!
And that goes for the characters in the show! If you want to be different, come up there, and cross dress, fine! But don't anguish over homosexuality, your wife (maybe you shouldn't marry, darlings!!!!!) and this mush. If you can't stand the political heat, get out of the kitchen! Or learn to say "fuck you!" Those two words from the lips of most of the people on stage would have saved a lot of anguish.
Harvey, you do your entire cast an injustice. And poor Lisa Emery must be playing the most thankless role on Broadway. The moment she starts spewing her filth, I am supposed to have compassion for this bitch?????????? Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give us all a break, Harvey, from your pandering to the mainstream. I object, polemically speaking to "Casa Valentina." I cannot endorse its message, which is fundamentally hypocritical.
If this had been written by, say Terrence McNally, it would have been a lot more insightful.
Hang it up, Harvey!
But kudos to director, Joe Mantello, and cast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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