![[PHOTOS] Meet the gorgeous men of Melbourne](https://lgbtprime.com/uploads/images/202410/image_430x256_67183c8fbd6ad.jpg)
‘A Guide for the Homesick’: A searing night of revelation and redemption
Teddy is a gay finance bro on vacation looking for a hookup. Jeremy is a nurse, recently stationed in East Africa, who identifies as straight and is looking for a friend. In Ken Urban’s sizzling two-hander, “A Guide for the Homesick,” these total strangers — both Americans — find themselves sharing a room at a … Read More
Teddy is a gay finance bro on vacation looking for a hookup. Jeremy is a nurse, recently stationed in East Africa, who identifies as straight and is looking for a friend.
In Ken Urban’s sizzling two-hander, “A Guide for the Homesick,” these total strangers — both Americans — find themselves sharing a room at a dumpy Amsterdam hotel. From the get-go, it’s obvious they each are hiding painful secrets.
As a storm rages outside, the two men engage in a cat-and-mouse dance, each coaxing tales of recent trauma from the other. The drama increases in intensity as they navigate a minefield of intimacy. Not surprisingly, Teddy makes a move on an uptight Jeremy. Can these lost souls find common ground, or at least a measure of healing connection?
Yet something is seriously amiss. Teddy’s flimsy story about his buddy Ed, possibly bipolar, who inexplicably bailed halfway through their trip, raises red flags. Were they more than friends? And why is he ignoring Ed’s fiancee’s phone calls? Likewise, Jeremy’s account of his friendship with Nicholas, a patient at risk for HIV who he treated while working at the impoverished health clinic, doesn’t quite add up either. Was Jeremy responsible for Nicholas’ terrible fate? (The year is 2011, around the peak of the AIDS epidemic in Africa; in some countries, gay men are imprisoned, tortured, or worse.)
[caption id="attachment_54437" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
"A Guide for the Homesick" runs through Jan. 12 at Union Square DR2 Theatre.Russ Rowland[/caption]
Under the bold direction of Shira Milikowsky, the play makes deft use of flashbacks, marked by a shift in lighting (designed by Abigail Hoke-Brady), where the actors play dual roles. McKinley Belcher III portrays both Teddy and Nicholas, while Uly Schlesinger embodies Jeremy and Ed. Both actors are first-rate, skillfully modulating waves of vulnerability with rage, while sharply delineating their characters.
The realistic set, by Lawrence Moten III, nicely captures a dingy, slightly tacky hotel room. The occasional drone of a passing airplane can be heard overhead. A nice touch is the scene where Jeremy tries to bolt, and the door is opened to the outside, revealing a convincing downpour of rain, adding to the ominous mood.
To be sure, “A Guide for the Homesick” is a riveting, erotically charged roller-coaster of a drama that parses themes of male intimacy, integrity, and ultimately, redemption. Unfortunately, it suffers from “too-much-of-a-good-thing” syndrome. In the short span of 80 minutes, the exposition is so detailed, the twists and time jumps so numerous, that the play becomes overwhelming. It’s as if Teddy and Jeremy are in a contest to see who can recount the most harrowing tale. Some judicious cuts would allow the piece to breathe and resonate more authentically.
At the curtain call, both Belcher and Schlesinger were drenched in sweat and appeared exhausted and wracked with emotion, a testament to the power of the material and their deep commitment to their formidable roles. The audience seemed depleted as well.
A Guide for the Homesick | Union Square DR2 Theatre | 103 East 15th St. | $49–$129 |https://www.aguideforthehomesick.com/ | Through January 12, 2025 | 80 min., no intermission
"A Guide for the Homesick" runs through Jan. 12 at Union Square DR2 Theatre.Russ Rowland[/caption]
Under the bold direction of Shira Milikowsky, the play makes deft use of flashbacks, marked by a shift in lighting (designed by Abigail Hoke-Brady), where the actors play dual roles. McKinley Belcher III portrays both Teddy and Nicholas, while Uly Schlesinger embodies Jeremy and Ed. Both actors are first-rate, skillfully modulating waves of vulnerability with rage, while sharply delineating their characters.
The realistic set, by Lawrence Moten III, nicely captures a dingy, slightly tacky hotel room. The occasional drone of a passing airplane can be heard overhead. A nice touch is the scene where Jeremy tries to bolt, and the door is opened to the outside, revealing a convincing downpour of rain, adding to the ominous mood.
To be sure, “A Guide for the Homesick” is a riveting, erotically charged roller-coaster of a drama that parses themes of male intimacy, integrity, and ultimately, redemption. Unfortunately, it suffers from “too-much-of-a-good-thing” syndrome. In the short span of 80 minutes, the exposition is so detailed, the twists and time jumps so numerous, that the play becomes overwhelming. It’s as if Teddy and Jeremy are in a contest to see who can recount the most harrowing tale. Some judicious cuts would allow the piece to breathe and resonate more authentically.
At the curtain call, both Belcher and Schlesinger were drenched in sweat and appeared exhausted and wracked with emotion, a testament to the power of the material and their deep commitment to their formidable roles. The audience seemed depleted as well.
A Guide for the Homesick | Union Square DR2 Theatre | 103 East 15th St. | $49–$129 |https://www.aguideforthehomesick.com/ | Through January 12, 2025 | 80 min., no intermission What's Your Reaction?
