I must admit it took me a minute to stew on what I experienced in Angry Fags at 7Stages. Written by Topher Payne it mixes politics, activism, and comedy.
Most minority groups struggle as they evolve into an organized forced of change and enter the main stream. We are a nation that is now a majority minority so it is happening everywhere. This can be seen in the LGBT community, they are evolving into the mainstream and when President Obama mention them in is his second inauguration address when he said, “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well” shows that gays are finally reaching acceptance. Who am I to tell someone who he or she can love.
What is interesting though, is that these minority groups also face an internal type of cannibalism, where the members are divisive among themselves.
In Angry Fags you get a peek into this scenario. After a hate crime, two renegade gay men go on a spree to bring to light this injustice.
Cooper (Johnny Drago) and Bennett (Jacob York) join forces. In comes State Senator Allison Haines (Melissa Carter) who is openly gay and has been forced to change her political rhetoric in a more mainstream political dialogue. All of a sudden in comes political challenger Peggy Musgrove (Marcie Millard) who is hot on the campaign trail.
Directed by Justin Anderson Angry Fags is set in three acts and covers this shift of this group of gays from fight to be part of the system to now working outside and creating their own system of justice.
It was interesting to watch former Q100 radio host Melissa Carter from the Bert Show as she played the State Senator and made for a believable on stage role after all those years behind the microphone.
This story could tighten up a bit from its three act form. But it was splendid to see the talented Johnny Drago play opposite of the virtuoso Jacob York who around town moves from acting in Shakespeare to Atlanta Tweenagers in a single bound.
A different twist from playwright efficacious Southern writer Topher Payne, Angry Fags takes you on one heck of an adventure.
Angry Fags runs through March 17 at 7Stages, for information visit: http://www.7stages.org/ or call 404.523.7647.
