Next Fall, a play by Geoffrey Nauffts, originated Off-Broadway as a production of the Naked Angels company, playing at that mecca of impressive new drama, Playwrights Horizons. The fact that it has moved onto Broadway, despite its quaint production size and lack of star power (the idolatry of the latter which everyone was flogged with mercilessly during Sunday's TONY awards) is a testament to this show's sheer brute force.
The show revolves around a gay male couple living in New York City. The twist: one is an atheist and one is a Christian. Let's stop there. As someone who reads and sees a great deal of contemporary drama, I cannot, off the top of my head, think of one single interesting, multi-dimensional, likeable Christian character. Every time a Christian is written into a play, it seems that character's sole purpose is to act as a foil to the 'enlightened', cynical, agnostic/atheistic intellectuals that the playwright so readily identifies with. Even supremely talented writers seem to get stuck in this trap -- Theresa Rebeck's Sunday on the Rocks comes to mind, as does Alan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. The Christian is a dogmatic moron, who perhaps has a deep dark secret revealed, so maybe the audience is supposed to start to like him/her, but basically he/she is a predictable and meaningless waste of space, who fits the right wing, Tea Party Republican profile to a tee.
Enter Geoffrey Nauffts. He writes Luke, a white Christian male from Tallahassee, who happens to be a homosexual. A complex, thoughtful, intelligent, conflicted, hopeful, confused, silly, affectionate, loyal human being. ATTENTION ALL OTHER PLAYWRIGHTS: Not all Christians are hypocritical, Bible-thumping, judgmental, homophobic Republicans with only one dimension. The Christian archetype does make an appearance in Next Fall, in the person of Butch, Luke's father. However, just like Luke and every other character, Butch is written with immense compassion. His denial and bias appear infinitely more tragic juxtaposed next to his son, who has cobbled together a lifestyle that can encompass his ardent beliefs, most basic instincts, and the expectations of those around him.
As I am loath to reveal the plot trajectory or any other specifics that greet the audience like sweet surprises throughout the course of the play, I will simply say this: every performance given is awe-inspiring; surely these are real people living out their lives in front of you. The play will actually steal the breath out of your chest. It grapples with such relevant, timely, sensitive, uncomfortable issues. It breeds easy laughter, then gently flips you around to incite tears. It is so honest, so truthful, so brave, so humane, so painful, so blissful, so subtle, so jarring. It has wisdom to share and does so graciously. Hours after seeing it, I'm still replaying it in my mind and peeling off new layers of significance, realizing minute details that didn't occur to me during the performance. It is easily one of the most beautiful things I have seen on a Broadway stage, ever. Please go; life is short and, unfortunately, the Broadway shelf-life of meaningful drama is shorter.
@ the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W 44th St b/t 8th & Bway
