The GLBTRT has been reviewing books and movies in its newsletter since the early 1990s. Trace the evolution of queer publishing through these historic reviews. This review was originally published in Vol. 4, No. 4, Winter 1992.
English and American playwrights and their works are examined in three major sections. The first part, “Bodies and Taboos,” focuses on the physical aspects of homosexuality; it also examines plays about AIDS and their idiosyncracies.
A second section, “Codes and Closets,” examines drama written between 1930 and 1968 as a vehicle for opening up a space for gay male characters while maintaining a foot in the closet.
The final section, “Staging a Culture That Isn’t Just Sexual,” discusses drama over the past three decades in light of the Oscar Wilde trials, the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, and the Stonewall riots.
Complete with notes, an annotated listing of gay plays and an index, this makes a solid contribution to overall history of gay characters in drama.
Reviewed by Ed Santa Vicca
Hayden Library
Arizona State University
