Review: BEAUTIFUL THING at Desert Rose Playhouse is, indeed, a Beautiful Thing

By: Mar. 13, 2020
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Review: BEAUTIFUL THING at Desert Rose Playhouse is, indeed, a Beautiful Thing

Jonathan Harvey's 1993 BEAUTIFUL THING is rightfully part of the pantheon of gay-oriented theatre. Desert Rose Playhouse's beautiful production does justice to this seminal play.

The sweet comic drama tells the story of that first, special relationship between two teenaged boys who live in a British council estate (i.e., public housing) in the 1970's or 80's, and experience their first kiss with each other. Jamie (Noah Arce) and Ste (Robert Garcia) both live in dysfunctional families, Jamie with his mother (bartender Sandra, played by Christine Tringali Nunes) and her latest boyfriend, Tony (Brent Anderson), and Ste with his drunken, abusive father and drug-dealing brother. Leah (Ceisley Jefferson), another teenaged neighbor, has recently been expelled from school and longs to go back. She adores the late singer, Cass Elliott, and notices more than her drug-addled brain would seem to be capable of processing.

The play, aided by fabulous acting by the talented cast members and Robbie Wayne's fabulous directing, richly presents fully developed characters who rise above stereotypes. These people are poor, but Sandra is nonetheless gainfully employed and ambitious, always looking for an opportunity to rise economically. Despite her hard demeanor, exemplified by her ongoing feud with Leah and her biting language towards her son, Sandra obviously loves Jamie, and sympathizes with his discouragement over his constant victimization at school. She also generously opens her door to Ste whenever his father or brother turns violent. Tony may have started his relationship with Sandra as a pick-up in a bar, but he seems genuinely to care for Sandra and Jamie. When Leah trips out on acid, he is the one that knows what to do, and takes charge of the situation.

Review: BEAUTIFUL THING at Desert Rose Playhouse is, indeed, a Beautiful Thing
Christine Tringali Nunes and Noah Arce as
Sandra and her son, Jamie.

The actors portray their characters with vulnerability and warmth, when they could easily have become stereotypes. Ms. Jefferson's Leah comes across as a likeable pain-in-the-neck who is clearly hurting inside. The two young men perfectly play the scene where they want to kiss, but are too scared. They brought me back to my parents' recreation room when I, as a 15-year-old, stalled my boyfriend from kissing me for at least ten minutes, while I pretended not to know what he was asking.

Without giving too much away, there is a scene between Sandra and Jamie that requires massive physical energy and sudden emotional shifts. Ms. Tringali Nunes, whom I consider to be an A-list actor in local theatre, and Mr. Arce play it perfectly, as they do the scene where Sandra confronts her son about whether he is gay. All five actors imbue their performances with what one of my college acting instructors called "honest energy." Their portrayals are brilliant.

Review: BEAUTIFUL THING at Desert Rose Playhouse is, indeed, a Beautiful Thing
(L-R) Robert Garcia, as Ste, and Noah Arce,
as Jamie, in Jamie's bedroom.

Although the designer is uncredited in the program, that individual, too, deserves kudos for making the set a sixth character. The main stage area consists of three front doors and the courtyard of the housing complex. The residents have decorated the place with flowers, and it looks cheerful, even though graffiti spoils a nearby wall, and a window and light fixture need repair. Even more impressive is Jamie's bedroom on far stage left, which is curtained off when not in use. The Union Jack perches proudly above the bed, surrounded by posters and a display of baseball card-sized pictures that turned out to be David Bowie collector cards. The audience cannot possibly see what is on the cards - I found out by asking - but they are exactly the sort of things that a teen wrestling with his sexuality would display in his room.

Review: BEAUTIFUL THING at Desert Rose Playhouse is, indeed, a Beautiful Thing
Jamie and Leah (played by Ceisley Jefferson

I have only two complaints that should not deter anyone from seeing the show. The first is that I found much of the British slang incomprehensible. For example, I did not know what a council estate was until I looked it up later. I would have preferred to see the company change two or three key references to their American equivalents. Secondly, the sight lines can be problematic for those not sitting on the platform seats towards the back, especially when the action is taking place in the stage left bedroom.

Although most of Desert Rose's audiences consist of middle-aged or older adult men, this sweet and ultimately uplifting play should be seen by teens connecting with their sexuality. The gay kids need to know that what they're feeling is perfectly all right, and the straight ones need to see how much the feelings of two boys falling in love resemble the emotions of a boy and girl in similar circumstances. In addition to gay adult attendees being likely to connect with this play, I suspect that straight theatregoers will also become invested in the experiences of the characters. I highly recommend BEAUTIFUL THING for all but the most conservative individuals in their mid-teens on up.

BEAUTIFUL THING will run through March 29, 2020, at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost between $34 and $37, and are available on the Web site, www.DesertRosePlayhouse.org, or by calling 760-202-3000. At this time, I have not heard that the schedule will change during the COVID-19 scare, and suggest checking with the box office if you have any questions.

The Desert Rose Playhouse is located just north of Frank Sinatra Boulevard, near the Emperor Buffet, at 69-620 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. The box office opens at 4 p.m. before evening performances and at noon on Sundays. A bar in the lobby sells libations before the show and during intermission.

The last offering offering of the season is NOOSE WOMEN, conceived by Lewis Lauder and adapted for the American stage by Judith Chapman (April 17-May 10, 2020). This play, which won Desert Rose's contest to discover new playwrights who author material that would appeal to LGBTQIA audiences, explores what people will do to get their fifteen minutes of fame.



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