Contemporary Queer Theatre As Utopic Activism
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TOWARD THE HORIZON: CONTEMPORARY QUEER THEATRE AS UTOPIC ACTIVISM Cody Allyn Page A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2021 Committee: Jonathan Chambers, Advisor Nermis Mieses Graduate Faculty Representative Angela Ahlgren Heidi Nees © 2021 Cody Allyn Page All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Jonathan Chambers, Advisor In Toward the Horizon: Contemporary Queer Theatre as Utopic Activism, I pursue two intersecting goals. First, I offer close readings of theatrical representations of queerness that expand beyond the shallow representations of the not-so-distant past, including the trope of the gay best friend (G.B.F.) and so-called . homosexual problem plays.” Second, I engage with dramaturgies of theatre for social change, reading those dramaturgical possibilities into scripted drama in support of my argument that contemporary queer theatre creates utopic activist potential within viewing and/or reading audiences. Over five chapters, I explicate and critically consider queer theatrical works that deploy dramaturgies and pedagogies of theatre for social change, including Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner, Significant Other by Joshua Harmon, Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Scissoring by Christina Quintana, Log Cabin by Jordan Harrison, The Prom by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson, and The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez. I build upon the queer theory legacies of José Esteban Muñoz and his conceptualizing of utopia on the horizon, and Jill Dolan’s notion of utopic performatives, to argue that these pieces hold the potential to lead audiences towards what I term “utopic activism.” Utopic activism concerns the potential to create change through the application of pedagogies and dramaturgies of theatre for social change to scripted drama, and in turn prompt audiences toward envisioning, embracing, and enacting a better future. Individual chapters draw on a variety of critical modes of investigation including history, historiography, and historicization, empathy, relationships and friendships, and genre conventions to investigate the ways queer theatre creates meaning. iv My study finds queer representation in contemporary theatre is steadily changing and consistently embracing more complex and affirming visions of queerness. Indeed, while there are many areas still lacking, particularly when it comes to the inclusion of diverse voices published as playwrights as well as more diverse characters in queer narratives, the scripts I read suggest a better more equitable future on the horizon. v For all the queer ancestors and elders whose voices were never heard, who never had the chance to sing their songs or celebrate their happiness. You deserved the opportunity to sing, speak, and dance. I remember you; I hear you; I invoke you. May your voices live on through mine. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Though this dissertation bears my name as its single author, it would not have happened without the support of a larger community of teachers, mentors, family, and friends. Before thanking them, I must first acknowledge that the region where Bowling Green State University and its affiliated campuses are located holds historical and contemporary ties to numerous Indigenous and Native tribes, including the Wyandot, Kickapoo, Miami, Odawa, Potawatomi, and multiple other Indigenous tribal nations, present and past, who were forcibly removed to and from the area. I recognize the stewardship, dedication, and continued presence of the Indigenous individuals and tribes for whom the Great Black Swamp and the Lower Great Lakes Region is home. I will work to not only acknowledge these individuals and tribes through statement, but in action and practice as well. Thanks to my advisor, Dr. Jonathan Chambers, who brought out the best in me even when I did not know what that meant. Thank you for always knowing when a bit more candy was needed to get through the dark. Thanks to Dr. Angela Ahlgren, for the many walks and chats and for always providing a willing ear to help navigate academic life. Thanks to Dr. Heidi Nees for being a fellow historiography nerd and for always bolstering my sense of confidence. Thanks to Dr. Nermis Mieses, from the College of Musical Arts, who has been a willing, eager, and active committee member. I would also like to thank the various professors and colleagues who have guided and supported me throughout this process. At BGSU, I would like to thank Dr. Lesa Lockford and Dr. Cynthia Baron, whose courses helped shape my writing and thinking. I started the PhD program with Justin Hopper; I will forever be thankful for his support and friendship. Likewise, it has been a joy working alongside and learning with Leesi Patrick. I am forever indebted to Dr. vii Quincy Thomas and Professor Sara Chambers, and will always appreciate their willingness to have a conversation, some profound, some funny, and many of them both. I thank as well, Dan and Summer Cullen, for helping make BGSU home. And to the countless others who have become friends and colleagues over the past few years, you have helped me grow. Outside of BGSU, I owe thanks to Dr. Daphnie Sicre and Dr. Gina Grandi, who showed me extraordinary compassion in navigating academia and were invaluable sounding boards. Thank you to “theatre twitter,” a home of scholars who have helped support and guide my thinking through their 280 characters. And to all the LGBT+/Queer scholars who have come before me: your work, your passion, and your drive have guided and supported this project from the start; thank you for paving the way. Aside from the colleagues and friends in the field, there are many others who deserve my thanks and gratitude. To my family, thank you for your support even though you typically have no idea what I am talking about; thank you for putting up with my intensity. Special thanks to my sister, Alysha, whose patience was always tested when I had to write rather than pay attention to her. I also thank and acknowledge the loved ones I have lost along the way, particularly the strong women who shaped me: Nanny, Grandma Page, Aunt Pip, Nicole Styer, and Pat Kautter. None of you will ever be forgotten; I carry all of you with me, always and forever. And Danie and Mel: so much of me is because of my relationships with the two of you. Your friendships have been invaluable, and I treasure them deeply. Barb, you have been a constant partner-in-crime, and I am forever grateful. And lastly, Freddy, who has kept me laughing, and Schane: though we may be miles apart, your friendship and brotherhood means the world to me. viii Finally, to the queer community: it is an honor and a privilege to be counted as your kin. Thank you for your bravery, your love, your compassion, and your support. Thank you for offering me a home. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION. QUEER THEATRE AND UTOPIC ACTIVISM .................................... 1 Key Research Questions and Theoretical Frames ....................................................... 1 Limitations: Temporal Strictures, Primary Sources, and Me ...................................... 9 A Brief History of Outlaws, In-Laws, and In-Betweeners .......................................... 13 Specialized Terms ........................................................................................................ 19 Chapter Summaries ...................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER I. EXCAVATING AND RE-CLAIMING: QUEER HISTORIOGRAPHIC ADAPTATION ............................................................................................................... 27 Prologue: An Introduction to Queer History ................................................................ 27 Bull in a China Shop as History .................................................................................... 33 Bull in a China Shop as Historiography ....................................................................... 36 Bull in a China Shop as Historicization ........................................................................ 48 Final Excavations .......................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER II. BEYOND THE G.B.F.: EXPANDING QUEER/STRAIGHT RELATIONSHIPS ............................................................................................................... 62 Prologue: A History of Relationships with Heterosexuals in Queer Theatre ............... 62 Friendship: Bridging Differences and Mutual World Building .................................... 66 No Safe Spaces: Typical Heterosexual Institutions as Relationships ........................... 88 Conclusion: Furthering the Representation of the G.B.F. ........................................... 99 CHAPTER III. QUEER-TO-QUEER RELATIONSHIPS: EXPLORATION OF INTER-COMMUNITY INTERACTION ................................................................................ 102 Prologue: Nuanced Queer Relationships in Contemporary Queer Theatre .................. 102 x Sitting in Discomfort: Queer Relationships as Sites of Critical Feedback ................... 109 Conclusion: Queer Realities & Pertinent Contexts ................................................. 131 CHAPTER IV. QUEER MUSICALS: CELEBRATING AND RECOGNIZING THE QUEER SELF ..............................................................................................................