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A star-studded doc pays tribute to a prolific victim of the coronavirus. Bravos to the Bard of Broadway

Terrence McNally with Audra McDonald...... John Slattery...

...Nathan Lane...

...Edward Albee...... Tyne Daly...... Larry Kramer...

Researching their documentary Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life, Jeff Kaufman His lifelong fascination with Maria Callas inspired and Marcia S. Ross dug through the playwright’s literary archives in Austin. The 1995’s Master Class. In his book for the 1996 musical married coproducers found, tucked among photos, a letter from his high-school adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, McNally English teacher, who effusively praised his writing and practically foretold his future. explored immigrant struggles. “Terrence is able to get through to the core of the human condition in “Keep always the freshness of your viewpoint, the honesty of your so many ways,” says Audra McDonald, who played an aspiring soprano in the convictions. Your integrity is your armor,” Mrs. Maurine McElroy wrote to original Broadway cast of Master Class. her talented student, who went on to become a trailblazing, four-time Tony He won a 1990 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Award–winning playwright, librettist and screenwriter. In such stereotype- Special for Andre’s Mother. The film, which aired on public television, depicts busting hits as Love! Valour! Compassion!, McNally created multifaceted the rage and intolerance of a mother whose son has died from AIDS. LGBTQ characters who were more than one-note jokes. He lived openly and He revisited that character in his 2014 play Mothers and Sons and

R LIFE OF ACT EVERY OF COURTESY proudly as a gay man when others shrank back for fear of repercussions. observed that some of his own mother was in her. McNally’s parents, who “He was always willing to take risks,” says Kaufman, who wrote, produced were both alcoholics, never embraced their son’s homosexuality. They did and directed Every Act of Life. The film, which premiered on PBS’s American introduce him to theater, though. Growing up in conservative Corpus Christi, Masters series in 2019, airs again June 14. Texas, putting together operas in the garage, he couldn’t wait to finish school McNally died in late March at age eighty-one owing to complications of and escape to New York. Covid-19. This celebratory biopic features original interviews with him, clips Once there, he had some flops but always picked himself back up. He lived from his prolific oeuvre and anecdotes from family, friends and colleagues. with the playwright Edward Albee and dated the actor Robert Drivas. He was Nathan Lane, Rita Moreno, Tyne Daly, Christine Baranski and John Slattery are frustrated that both remained more closeted than he. McNally surprised even among the actors who describe his himself by becoming romantically impact on them. ...and with Jeff Kaufman. involved with playwright Wendy F. Murray Abraham, for instance, Wasserstein. He eventually married landed his first theatrical break in producer-lawyer Tom Kirdahy in McNally’s Where Has Tommy Flowers 2003. “He always said, ‘I wanted to Gone? (1971). He boldly showed up to be in love more than be successful,’” a closed audition in shorts and sandals Kaufman recalls. and waited outside for hours until When McNally viewed Every McNally allowed him in. “He read one Act of Life, he expressed delight in line,” McNally recalls in the doc. “We the filmmakers’ decision to have said, where have you been?” Meryl Streep read the letter from McNally’s work didn’t chronicle only his beloved teacher. Kaufman says gay life. Frankie and Johnny in the Clair Mrs. McElroy (who later became Dr. de Lune (1987) brings a lonely man and McElroy) “was the first person to see woman together for a one-night stand. him for who he was.” —Ann Farmer

30 EMMY