ATW Review - Gay Rap Opera, Bash'd, Moving, Thrilling

It was bound to happen, and I must admit that it has – much to my delight, both as a gay man and an avid theatergoer. Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow have harnessed the anger and power of rap and spun it round to champion gay civil liberties while decrying homophobic prejudice. What's even more impressive is the fact that they use their homo-hip-hop (to use the pair's title from their blog) to tell a remarkably human story that's sometimes hilarious in Bash'd, a gay rap opera that opened last week at the Zipper, after an outing last year at the New York International Fringe Festival and a run prior to that in Canada, from whence Craddock and Cuckow hail.

The story of Bash'd is pretty simple. It's about Dillon (Cuckow), a guy from the provinces, who after a disastrous coming-out to his folks, moves to a big city. There he meets Jack (Craddock), a young man who's been raised by two gay men, and who has spent his teen years immersed in gay culture. Dillon and Jack fall in love instantly one night at a bar, and within a year, they're married. Violence destroys their domestic tranquility one night, though, when Jack's attacked on the streets and brutally fag-bashed by a group of straights, presumably angry over Canada's newly enacted law allowing gay marriage. This gang's violence, and the fear it engenders in both Jack and Dillon, only spawns further aggression, and ultimately, Bash'd ends tragically, but it's told an important story, although, tucked into the art-y confines of the Zipper, it's not necessarily being heard by those who need to hear it most.

In addition to playing Jack and Dillon, Cuckow and Craddock play a host of other characters during this brisk 65-minute show. Initially, they're simply playing their rap counterparts, T-Bag and Feminem, but as the story begins to unfold, they're also playing Jack's fey dads, Dillon's well-meaning mom and his überly-macho dad. During one hysterical sequence, they also adopt the personae of the various types that one finds in a gay bar – from a flamboyant drag queen to a gruff but loveable bear to a sylph-like crystal meth addicted twink. As they transform into these characters, whom they play with gentle satiric flair and obvious affection, they never miss a beat of their beautifully crafted rap lyrics, which are accompanied by some terrific sampling of gay-centric pop music that's been sampled ingeniously by composer Aaron Macri.

Elsewhere in the show, which has been directed with care by Ron Jenkins, Cuckow and Craddock's creation is supremely touching. Jack and Dillon's first meeting is charmingly delicate and their wedding, which Dillon's parents unexpectedly attend, may induce tears in some theatergoers.

It’s the depth and universality of the emotions evoked during these moments, that makes the show's deliberate anger all the more powerful. During its opening moments, the pair's lyrics delineate their agenda: "Straight people say there's no need for us/But gay folk are sick of sittin' at the back of the bus…Yeah, we don't like 'faggot' when it's said by them/But when we say it, it's like a word that starts with 'n'." Later lyrics cut equally deep into deep-rooted homophobia which all gay men have experienced and still do experience.

The anger and humanity of Bash'd spins out onto a stage that's kept nearly bare and that's backed by light towers, which, as utilized by designer Bradley Clements, give the show the feel of a high-adrenaline concert. Rarely though, do rock events contain so much emotion – this is exciting theater, pure and simple.

---- Andy Propst

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Bash'd plays at the Zipper Factory Theater (336 West 37th Street). Performances are Monday at 8pm; Thursday at 8pm; Friday at 7:30 and 10pm Saturday at 8pm. Tickets may be purchased online at www.thezipperfactory.com or by calling 212-352-3101.