8 choreography by David Vaughn . 5 The revue presented itself as a series of short morality plays ( typically sacred plays popularized in 15th and 16th century Europe where characters personify moral issues or virtues and have a central lesson being taught ) that show that acceptance and gay liberation must come from individual realizations of these ideals by the whole community before societal change can take place . Looking at the characters and the format , it ’ s clear that this production wasn ’ t being shy about its criticisms and who it draws influence from . The Faggot was openly critical of the society that suppresses gay culture and sexual orientation , and used famous figures alongside commonly perceived figures ( businessman , hippies , drag queens , etc .) to showcase , subvert , and satirize the ways in which people perceive homosexuality , gay culture , and their subsequent suppression and the effects of that suppression on the LGBTQ + community .
One of the main points of division about The Faggot was the response by various members of the LGBTQ + community , as well as the response from critics and how the show might be perceived by those outside of the LGBTQ + community . Cast member David Summers was quoted as saying , “ Al Carmines runs the gamut from closet queens and hustlers to open love relationships .” This was to say that he felt that the show was widely representative of various members of the community , and that the representations were realistic . Critics may not have picked up on the “ realism ” perhaps , but it was a critical success ( again , being one of the last shows to transfer Off-Broadway that the Judson Poet ’ s Theater produced ). Activists in the community , however , did not see this as overwhelmingly positive . The popular opinion amongst gay activists was that the musical played out a tired caricature of sad gay people , especially those in the closet . There were some questionable choices made that might put some negative views of the community out there , not least the inclusion of a scene where Catherine the Great
5 “ The Faggot : Original Off-Off Broadway Production ( 1973 ).” 2016 . 11 O ’ Clock Number . http :// www . ovrtur . com / production / 2880379 / credits