←Recommendations of Interview With Freddie Mercury (10 min radio)

A relatable play about the struggle to be able to come out as gay and the worry of others perception. Well done.

In the 1980s, self-identifying as gay had wide-ranging, societal and familial, consequences.

In fewer than 20 pages, Rose strongly and subtly defines two characters who are similar, yet completely at odds. One seeks privacy, the other wants to hear validation of who he is. One is uncertain how others will see him, the other doesn't give a damn. Reading "Interview with Freddie Mercury" is like seeing two sides of the same coin, with a couple decades of life experience joining the two.

Rose crafts a smart, deeply human piece that subtly unfolds. Set in the late 80s when fears about AIDS were in high gear and most fear-mongers equated the epidemic to men sleeping with other men, a reporter, and fan of the iconic rock star, Freddie Mercury, awkwardly tries to coax Freddie, to reveal his sexual identity. Rose cleverly manipulates the audience’s understanding of the reporter’s real motives and beautifully captures not only the threat of the time period, the voice of Mercury, but the way older queers gently fostered their frightened younger counterparts.

I had the pleasure of watching a workshop of this play and not only did it make my queer heart sing - the play made it think. Cassandra wonderfully captures Mercury's fireworks and his quieter spells, compelling us to watch the mirror crack when the interviewer challenges Mercury on his responsibility as an artist. The turn alone is compelling theatre - on top of Mercury's magnificence, which sings from Cassandra's text. It's a beautiful spotlight on a revered icon - and an iconic time period.

Cassandra Rose gives us a peek behind the curtain of a rock legend, in an imagined, post-concert encounter Freddie has with an up and coming journalist. She expertly captures Mercury's bravado, theatricality, and yet beautifully preserves his humanity at a period of time when he was most fragile. The play illuminates the power celebrities posess in effecting social change beyond their art form. And, after reading, I spent a long time with a heavy heart, imagining what contemporary music might sound like today if Freddie were still with us. If only. Fantastic work.

I had the pleasure of seeing a staged reading of this play at Chicago Dramatists in January 2017. Funny at times and poignant at others, the play explores and challenges our perceptions of identity through the lens of a highly specific cultural moment and figure. A beautiful, engaging, and insightful piece of theatre. I absolutely recommend it!