Five guys sat onstage behind five music stands.
I was told we were going to see this interesting play about gay issues written by a friend of a friend in Buffalo. Matthew Higgin was the name of the writer, and ‘Confessions’ was the title of the play, but neither detail affected my decision to go. It was a reason to leave Rochester and I was all for it.
After a cold hour’s drive west, we entered a dark club-type area where a black box theater was located upstairs. We grabbed our cheap seats in the back row and waited for the show. Five actors in black t-shirts, including the writer of the play, went up single file to the stage and sat down. Nothing special. Then ‘Confessions’ began.
‘Confessions’ is a 90-minute one-act play dealing with homosexual issues. The format is basically a series of monologues read and performed by the highly capable and versatile actors.
Higgin was quite creative in his ability to cover the amount of topics he does in this script. Despite the undertaking of the author, the play still runs smoothly and catches your attention.
Topics such as sex, dating and relationships are shown with blunt, but vibrant humor. Darker aspects such as AIDS, family fights and suicide are displayed with fierce raw energy.
The reason anyone would go to see this play is the true sincerity of Higgin’s writing.
The striking aspect in the play is the deep sincerity expressed by these five plainly clothed actors. These men drag you through a young boy composing a suicide note, to a thin teen’s first blowjob to an Eagle Scout’s frustration at being rebuked by his organization, all performed behind five black music stands.
The essence of the show is powerful, and everyone in our group, straight and gay alike loved the play. I truly would suggest anyone and everyone to attend this show and see the remarkable strength of Higgin’s words in the heartfelt production of ‘Confessions’.
‘Confessions’ is playing January 25 and 26 in the May Room of Wilson Commons. Tickets are $5 to UR students and $8 to the general public.
Schudel can be reached at bschudel@campustimes.org.
