The 'Boys' Get Down to Business

Was just discussing "The Boys in the Band" with friends at dinner the other night and was surprised how ambivalent people remain about it. One friend still cringes at the self-loathing and "stereotypes" portrayed in the play, while a younger person still saw "any recognition" of gays and lesbians in the arts as a net positive. Given how I felt growing up a generation after, it's hard to believe that gay men in this era didn't overwhelmingly feel bad about themselves -- with zero role models and laws telling them they were criminal and sub-human -- so I never understood the harm in depicting a group of men who did. My friends and I all agreed that it might have been fun if writer Mart Crowley had updated the script, with the boys being envious of each others' Instagram followings and ability to hook up with hot men on Grindr. But I suppose that would require a complete retooling to factor in the other societal changes, so this thank-god-we’ve-progressed time capsule will do. "The Boys in the Band" on Broadway begins previews at the Booth Theatre at the end of this month.