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Peer Reviews Love! Valour! Compassion! By Terrence McNally Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley Entire contents are copyright © 2008, Craig Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.
When Love! Valour! Compassion! opened on Broadway on February 14, 1995, it was at a time when the AIDS epidemic was at its peak, decimating the theatrical and artistic community like nothing has before or since. Thirteen years later, being diagnosed as HIV positive or even with the full-blown AIDS virus is not the instant death sentence it used to be. So the question is raised: can a play steeped so heavily in the heartbreak and tragedy of the outbreak still move an audience a generation removed? The answer, in this reviewer's humble opinion, is an enthusiastic yes! The Louisville Repertory Company has outdone itself with its current project, a revival of its own acclaimed 2000 production of Love! Valour! Compassion! That production was the final play directed by legendary Louisville director Emily Gnadinger; current director Amy Lewis has done an amazing job of making this production her own, while honoring Gnadinger's legacy in subtle ways. The staging and set design are strikingly minimalist, and she has assembled an amazing cast (with only Darren McGee returning from the 2000 production). The story involves eight friends, a group of gay men involved in various ways with the New York theatre scene, and the events that transpire over three holiday weekends one summer. They gather at the summer home of Gregory (Bryce Woodard), a forty-something ballet choreographer, and his considerably younger boyfriend Bobby (J.C. Nixon), who is blind. The other friends include Buzz (James Butterfield), a flamboyant musical theatre enthusiast dying of AIDS; Arthur and Perry (Todd Zeigler and Ted Lesley), an older couple who are "role models" due to being together fourteen years; British twins John and James (both played by Darren McGee), one healthy and mean, the other kindly but ravaged by AIDS; and Ramon (Nic Johnson), John's flavor-of-the-week Hispanic dancer boyfriend. The show deals with its rather depressing subject matter with a lot of humor and heart, and ironically finds its sweetest moments between Buzz and James, both dying of their illness but still finding love in their darkest hour. There is also conflict stirred up by a late-night rendezvous between Bobby and Ramon, and that's a subplot that plays out differently than you'd expect. All of the performances are strong, and each cast member gets his moment to shine. McGee does a fantastic job of playing the twins as polar opposites, and is particularly impressive in a late scene in which the two brothers make their peace. Lesley and Zeigler are totally believable as the bickering couple who have been together so long they don't even notice when they're holding hands (although Zeigler is noticeably a bit young for the role, considering the many jokes at the expense of his character's age). By far, though, the standout performance here is James Butterfield as Buzz. What starts off as an almost cartoonishly over-the-top performance as a bitchy theater queen very quickly is revealed to be a shield put up to protect the sad and wounded soul beneath. Butterfield's is the character that will have you laughing hysterically one moment and wiping tears away the next. The show is also known for its unabashed display of full male nudity, and the LRC production doesn't shy away from it. Be warned: several of the performers bare all at various times, and sometimes for very long stretches. It can be a little distracting! All of us who spend a lot of time involved with
theatre have probably known or been close to someone
who has been touched by HIV/AIDS, or at least can
identify with these characters on a personal level.
Love! Valour! Compassion!, as presented here by
one of Louisville's strongest theatre companies,
is a funny and moving production that will stay
with you long after you leave the theatre.
Love! Valour! Compassion! Featuring James Butterfield, Nic Johnson, Ted Lesley, Darren McGee, J.C. Nixon, Bryce Woodard, and Todd Zeigler. Posted April 4, 2008
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