Zero Patience

"Tell the story. Clear my name.
Why do they need someone to blame?"
~ Zero Patience

Gaétan Dugas, a French-Canadian flight attendant, was falsely accused of spreading the AIDS virus across America. He was dubbed "Patient Zero." Evidence was found to clear his name but the myth persisted for years after. John Grayson's musical sends Zero's ghost on a journey to prove his innocence, debunking other myths about the virus along the way. The film is angry, funny, sexy and bittersweet. It's strange to watch now as it came at a time when people were still in crisis and much about the virus was still unknown. The film is hard to track down but clips are floating around. You can read a spoiler filled recap here.

Head Over Heels

Take one 16th century play. Add one 1980's pop group. Sprinkle some genderqueer aesthetic. And voila! Head Over Heels was considered too slight for Broadway but it's the ideal fit for a black box theater during Pride season. One caveat: if you're not a fan of the Gogo's going in, the repetitive song arrangements won't change your mind here. The clowns belt and the sexy chorus dances but the plot stops dead every time there's a song.

The Chicago premiere runs July 1-August 25. Details are here.

Ghost Quartet

So... eight months. How's everybody doing? I'm not back back but I've a few more ideas for comics.

The success of Dave Malloy's The Great Comet has renewed attention to the earlier Ghost Quartet. My synopsis doesn't do it justice. Four artists take the stage to tell four intertwining ghost stories. The sisters at the center, Pearl and Rose, provoke a cycle of revenge that burns for seven centuries. Malloy says he was playing a board game with his friends and said "The four of us should make a show." The result is something that will confuse, impress and lodge itself in your mind.


The Chicago premiere runs July 12 - August 17. Details are here.