Silver Foxes @ Uptown Players
—Martha Heimberg
In Silver Foxes, a joke-packed dramedy by writers James Berg and Stan Zimmerman (known for The Golden Girls), two older gay men try to rescue an even older friend from a homophobic retirement community, testing the limits and nature of their own relationship and the strength of the fabled “chosen family” when push comes to shove—as in, “shove him to the curb” or “Come On-A My House.” The pop anthem dating back to Rosemary Clooney fills the theater as the old gang tries on wigs for “one of our legendary drag parties.” Yes, you need to be there.
Michael Urie, star of Apple TV+’s Shrinking, directs the world premiere of the show for Uptown Players (onstage at Theatre Three), perfectly utilizing T3’s in-the-round performance space, thanks in major part to Kevin Brown’s elegant, open design. The queer-centric company returns to their home venue at Kalita Humphreys Theater for the remainder of their season, according to the program notes.
Chuck (B.J. Cleveland in new-crew-cut Butch mode) runs into the smartly furnished living room of his Palm Springs home and collapses on the sofa, panting and sweating. Nobody’s chasing the former Army officer; he’s forcing his aging body back in shape because he’s signed up for a new dating app and wants to get back in the game.
Chuck’s former boyfriend and forever jobless housemate Benny (a curly-haired, laid-back, okay-with-his-paunch Robert San Juan) tells him to rest up before they head out to see Cecil (a poignant Jon Morehouse), a famed activist who’s been living in a housing complex for older adults in Pomona. Both men are nervous because their pal Jerry, a rich old dude who regularly takes up with another “disposable, air-headed twink,” has called to say he might not make it. Jerry’s changed partners again—but before he can call off his former boyfriend Toby (bouncing cutie pie Edson Montenegro), Toby arrives early at Chuck & Benny’s, twirling around the house touting their new butt (Jerry paid for the upgrade) and oh-so-sure Jerry’s about to propose.
Chuck says it’s time to go visit Cecil. Benny says, “We’re not going anywhere ‘til my penis rises.” I laugh along with the sold-out house of mostly silver foxes when the actor opens the oven and pulls out a red velvet cake shaped like a guy’s junk. Later, he ices it! The show has plenty of sight jokes, and punchy dialogue honed from the rich closet of gay puns and double entendres—some old, some fresh(er), and all delivered with expert timing by this sharp comedic cast.
Will they ever make it to Cecil in Pomona? Apparently not, as Cecil shows up on the doorstep with a sad story: he’s being bullied and won’t go back there. We feel sorry for the eager, abject old guy with the don’t-hurt-me smile. The plot takes a turn into the muddy ruts of what-are-we-gonna-do-with-poor-daddy pathos, and almost gets stuck in sentimentality as we learn of each character’s deepest fear. Happily, Urie’s skilled direction plus the authenticity of the cast keep a necessary balance between the sardonic shrug and the real pain of growing old, getting dumped, and going to the curb with the other old bags.
The periodic appearance of the hilarious Leslie Marie Collins as a svelte real estate agent, a slutty, martini-sucking neighbor, and at least four other characters keeps us lunging forward. Collins shifts personas with playfulness and high style. Suzi Cranford and Breianna Barrington designed the terrific costumes and Michael B. Moore did the makeup and fun wigs.
We mostly laugh, but Silver Foxes lands some hard punches, not just jokes, about the gay community’s much-satirized obsession with youth and physical appearance. They love their vintage cars, their vintage fashion, and their vintage houses, but what about their vintage selves? That’s saying something about all of us, who make up the boundless American market for anything that might make us look or feel more…well, attractive.
Toby says it best. Polished body parts glowing, the wised-up twink looks at everybody else and says, “You don’t have to be hot to be happy!”
WHEN: Through March 12
WHERE: Theatre Three, 2688 Laclede Street, Dallas 75201
WEB: uptownplayers.org
