A dark, sharp little play that manages to celebrate the gay community's resilience in the face of oppression while offering a blistering critique of some of our worst tendencies. The writing is masterful with clearly drawn characters and verbal repartee shimmering with wit that barely conceals the terror beneath. I found myself torn between enjoying the sparkle and confronting the real issues of the play, which is of course the whole point of the piece.

I have a phobia about smoking. (It's called capnophobia - Google it.) As such it's EXTREMELY difficult for me to endure even references to it without agitation or nausea. It is a testament to Houk's skill that I made it through all ten minutes! The play perfectly captures that "eye of the inferno at the end of the world" vibe. While, the characters are all gorgeously rendered, I especially loved Vince who strives to reach a poetically beautiful objective while the world runs down the clock. Exquisite!

Complacency has it's consequences. In Craig Houk's dark dystopian comedy we find ourselves at first laughingly entertained by it's three protagonists. We know them. We may be them. The golden boys; the chosen. But as the play moves forward (and the night sky starts to glow eerily brighter) we slowly learn we've been duped and, along with our trio of characters, begin to realize that the higher the elevation the more devastating the fall, and the horrible cost of inaction. Highly recommended.