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Douglas Carter Beane’s heartfelt satire (yes, there is such a thing) examines the strange state of Hollywood, where actors get awards and accolades for playing gay but file lawsuits if you suggest they really are. Mitchell Green (Coco) is on the cusp of being a big-time star; the only obstacle is what his heart-of-stone agent Diane (Fisher) calls “a slight recurring case of homosexuality.” Mitchell maintains he’s straight but has a habit of combining liquor and rent boys, until one such hustler, Alex (Holloway), sparks something deeper. Alex feels it, too, even though he has a sort-of girlfriend (Prete). Suddenly Mitchell’s breakout movie role is at risk unless Diane can manipulate everyone back into the closet.
Beane’s a bit more invested in his commentary on the Hollywood commercial mentality (mostly delivered via Diane’s speeches, which could cut diamonds) than in the Mitchell-Alex relationship, and the play’s ending isn’t earned emotionally. But Rosen’s appropriately sleek-and-shiny production achieves some balance thanks to Coco and Holloway, who find convincing individual conflict and engaging chemistry. Fisher relishes having all the best lines and delivers them with precision; the stinging tonic to the boys’ love-drunk nescience, she’s here to tell the truth about telling the truth. Unfortunately the cast only fires on three of four cylinders; pancake-flat Prete, who seems to have rehearsed for another play altogether, drags down every scene in which she appears. In a way it reinforces Beane’s message: All else aside, it’s your ability to play the part that counts.
