Arts & Entertainment
Mart Crowley, ‘Boys in the Band’ playwright, dies at 84
Mart Crowley, the playwright behind one of the most groundbreaking queer plays of all time, has died at 84.
Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi as Edward Martino Crowley, his play “The Boys in the Band” was the first major American drama explicitly dealing with the lives of gay men. Reportedly written at the suggestion of the actress Natalie Wood, for whom he worked as a personal assistant, it debuted off-Broadway in 1968 – at a time when queer representation on the stage and screen was largely non-existent. It drew packed audiences, both gay and straight, and was made into a film by director William Friedkin in 1970.
While the play has long been seen as a seminal work in the LGBTQ canon, it has not always been embraced by critics or by the community; its caustic, bitchy characters, who viciously take out their frustration and self-loathing on each other at a birthday party as they get progressively drunker, have been criticized by many as presenting a negative image of gay life – such as the legendary out gay playwright Edward Albee, who said in an interview for the 2011 documentary “Making the Boys,” “I went to see ‘Boys in the Band’ several times, and more and more I saw an audience there of straights, who were so happy to be able to see people they didn’t have to respect.”
It was only within recent years that the play has been reassessed to take its place as an important piece of LGBTQ history, a portrait of gay existence before the Stonewall Uprising jump-started the Gay Liberation Movement the following year. When “Boys” was remounted on Broadway in 2018 with an all-star cast, director Joe Mantello told the New York Times, “The people who criticize the play have the luxury to do so because of the play.”
The Tony-winning 2018 production, which was the play’s official Broadway debut, is being brought to the screen later this by Netflix; it will feature the acclaimed revival cast reprising their roles, including Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, and Jim Parsons.
Crowley wrote a sequel, “The Men from the Boys,” in 2002. He also wrote several television scripts, including for “Hart to Hart,” starring Robert Wagner, the widower of former employer Wood who remained a lifelong friend to the playwright.
Wagner, speaking to the New York Times in a phone interview after Crowley’s passing, said, “He was his own man at a time when it was really, really difficult.”
Crowley died Saturday night in Manhattan as a result of complications from heart surgery following a heart attack. He has no immediate survivors.
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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