A gaggle of male harpies spin a cautionary tale of taboo, lust, and one tragic boy's search for manhood.
BABY EYES
Reviews
While the specifics go all over the map, some of the acting is awesome (Mr. Rivera sure knows how to cast a show): Mr. Monte is menacing and absolutely frightening as the threatening, ticking time-bomb father, and Mr. Ward is spot-on as the conflicted, loving Tremaine. The Billie Holiday-drenched soundscape by Jesse Mandapat is equally effective.
Baby Eyes is a courageous leap into basically uncharted territory and nobody producing theatre in LA is better at dealing with such exciting, promising material than the amazing Jon Rivera and his always provocative, admirably committed Playwrights' Arena.
Playwright Donald Jolly takes us back to 1950s Baltimore via Ancient Greece in Baby Eyes, a Playwrights' Arena World Premiere that scores points for ambitious intentions if not for its campy mix of ancient myth, Greek tragedy, '50s melodrama, and men in drag.
Baby Eyes is a fascinating re-imagining of the relationship between the Greek god Zeus and young Ganymede. The story navigates the dynamics of several intimate relationships affected by ingrained racism, misogyny, sexual orientation, gender identity and power. Underscored by the painfully beautiful bellows of Billie Holiday, Baby Eyes draws you in and then makes you hurt. - RECOMMENDED
While the specifics go all over the map, some of the acting is awesome (Mr. Rivera sure knows how to cast a show): Mr. Monte is menacing and absolutely frightening as the threatening, ticking time-bomb father, and Mr. Ward is spot-on as the conflicted, loving Tremaine. The Billie Holiday-drenched soundscape by Jesse Mandapat is equally effective.
Baby Eyes is a courageous leap into basically uncharted territory and nobody producing theatre in LA is better at dealing with such exciting, promising material than the amazing Jon Rivera and his always provocative, admirably committed Playwrights' Arena.
Playwright Donald Jolly takes us back to 1950s Baltimore via Ancient Greece in Baby Eyes, a Playwrights' Arena World Premiere that scores points for ambitious intentions if not for its campy mix of ancient myth, Greek tragedy, '50s melodrama, and men in drag.
Baby Eyes is a fascinating re-imagining of the relationship between the Greek god Zeus and young Ganymede. The story navigates the dynamics of several intimate relationships affected by ingrained racism, misogyny, sexual orientation, gender identity and power. Underscored by the painfully beautiful bellows of Billie Holiday, Baby Eyes draws you in and then makes you hurt. - RECOMMENDED