Gay Play Tuesdays: BELL, BOOK & CANDLE

Join us for our next edition of Gay Play Tuesdays, which will take place on December 17th at 7pm, when we will read Bell, Book & Candle by John van Druten (1950). The mundane meets the miraculous in this festive and bewitching romantic comedy set against the stylish backdrop of mid-century Manhattan!

It’s Christmas Eve in New York City, and Gillian Holroyd, a sexy and sophisticated witch, is feeling mischeivous. She casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival and partly because she is attracted to him. He falls head over heels in love with her at once and wants to marry her. But witches, unfortunately, cannot fall in love. Will romance prevail? Or will this relationship disappear as fast as you can say “double, double, toil and trouble”?

Written by gay playwright John van Druten, Bell, Book & Candle is often interpreted as a coded reference to the struggles faced by gay people, particularly due to the play’s themes of secrecy, societal pressures, and the need to hide one’s true identity, especially in an era when homosexuality was heavily stigmatized.

What is “Gay Play Tuesdays”?

What makes a “gay play?” Is it dependent on the identity of the author or characters? The reception of the play by LGBTQIA+ audiences? The play’s politics or aesthetics? Or is there something else, less definable, that might make a play a gay classic?Join our Resident Dramaturg, Jesse Marchese, for a monthly free play reading salon where we will investigate some of the most impactful, provocative, and fearless “gay plays” from the 20th and 21st centuries. Being a “salon,” this is not a professional performance. Rather, we treat each session as a classroom where the plays are our teachers.We will treat every session as a first read through, assigning parts on a first come, first served basis. You are welcome to come and read a role out loud or just listen along – no experience necessary! Once we finish reading through the play we will engage in a short discussion of its themes and ideas.