The world premiere drama at Benchmark Theatre is a vivid reminder of how far we still have to go
Billed as a world premiere, Stonewall, presented by Benchmark Theatre, has arrived just in time for Pride Month. Highlighting the Stonewall Inn riots of 1969 in New York City — thought to be the beginning of the gay and lesbian liberation movement toward long-sought-after acceptance — this historical drama is an emotional and revelatory play that draws the curtain back on many different pockets of society set out to fight seemingly endless repression.
Immediately upon entering the theater, the large cast (Benchmark’s biggest ever) has already assembled on the multi-layered stage and is busy creating a certain mild anticipation amongst themselves. This goes on for more than 20 minutes until the exact moment the lights dim and we are included in the purposeful action taking place on stage.
Written by Neil Truglio along with Samwell Rose, Frankie Lee, and the cast of Stonewall, we are guided through the days leading up to and the eventual raid of the Stonewall Inn, a bar frequented by homosexuals, in Greenwich Village by four present-day survivors recounting the turbulent times that eventually resonated around the country and the world.
The play highlights very specific locales and groups, including members of the Mattachine Society, The Daughters of Bilitis, writers from the Village Voice newspaper, various street people, and first and foremost the so-called drag queens who ultimately contributed to toppling the police raid on the Stonewall Inn.
All the characters in the play are based on real people from the early gay liberation movement and the Stonewall riots. The play is a fascinating telling of the men and women who stood up to the establishment and specifically the police on the night of June 28, 1969.
One of the most interesting angles presented in the short 95-minute play is that of the Village Voice newspaper and its coverage of the events. We are introduced to Jill Johnston (Corey Exline) and Howard Smith (Andrew Catterall) as contributors to the Village Voice as they cover the unfolding lifestyle of Greenwich Village. Both give solid and cohesive performances that advance the storyline with a deeper understanding of how the times were being examined. Exline is especially moving as someone who is conflicted about her own sexual orientation and delivers a searing speech regarding her take on homosexuality.
Other standouts include Dante’ J. Finley as Marsha P. Johnson, a self-described drag queen, and fixture in Greenwich Village for many years to come, and Andy Ray as Craig Rodwell, the founder and owner of the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore. Barbara Porreca as Martha Shelley, Dan O’Neill as Martin Boyce, B Glick as Michelle Beyer, and Seymour Pine as Verl Hite are the four present-day actors/characters who introduce us to this docu-drama and close out the performance with both wisdom and hindsight. With a cast of 24 people, there are far too many actors to mention all the gifted performers in Stonewall, but it’s a strong set of first-rate performances all around.
As directed by Neil Truglio along with associate director Samwell Rose, the action is gripping and intense. Truglio has used the extensive playing area to its fullest with meaningful action taking place on all set levels during the entire performance. It is obvious that Truglio has invested a great amount of time and energy into this project. The script is finely detailed and satisfying while the direction is extremely well-tuned and comprehensive given the limited playing time and space.
Truglio is also credited with the design of the production and has convincingly recreated different playing areas ascribed to Greenwich Village of the late 1960s. Chantelle Frazier along with the cast of Stonewall and Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry are credited with costuming and have done a marvelous job matching characters with appropriate attire ranging from business suits to full drag-queen garb.
Stonewall is a perfect addition to the Pride Month celebration and must be seen. It is a reminder of how far we have come, and sadly how much further we must go. The LGBTQ+ community is suffering new blows right now, and we must continue to fight the oppression as intensely as those who fought in the Stonewall Inn riots.
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