It’s the summer of ’69 and the death of music icon Judy Garland has emboldened her gay followers. A routine police raid on an underground Greenwich Village hotspot erupts in to a full-scale riot, the impetus of the modern gay rights movement. That’s the well-known, oft-rehearsed myth of Stonewall, anyhow. Smash that myth against the vivid theatrical imagination of playwright Ike Holter, add a howling live rock ‘n roll band, and you get the world premiere play, Hit the Wall. Remixing this historic confrontation reveals ten unlikely revolutionaries, caught in the turmoil and fighting to claim “I was there.”
This was my first visit to the Theatre on the Lake. It wasn’t as hard to find as I expected. I liked the theatre itself, especially that they provided fan and encouraged eating & drinking. There was a 3-person band that played before & during the show; I couldn’t help but think the theatre on the Lake was a better setting to showcase their sound the original production Upstairs at Steppenwolf. The band was great; besides an impeccable sound, they were incorporated into the show subtlety & provided a consistent tone for the show.
I LOVED IT. I would liken it most to a lovechild of Hedwig & the Angry Inch, HAIR, and Fires in the Mirror (all winners in my book). Ike Holter’s script incorporated a refreshing variety of moments & artistic styles…tirades that border on raps, personal & poignant revelatory monologues, whispered warnings, chaotic overlapping ensemble, etc.
I had never heard of the Stonewall Riots, or that it was the catalyst for the LGBT movement. This play provided an interesting historic perspective for me: LGBT rights seem sort of an assumed right for our generation, but it’s interesting how little energy remembering the fight they fought. The struggle for Black Equality & Women’s Rights will never be forgotten, but the LGBT movement doesn‘t seem to garner the same sense of attention to its’ history. Maybe it’s because the LGBT movement puts all its’ energy in contemporary advancements, but it is important for any group to pay honor to those who came before them. Hit the Wall certainly accomplished that sense of respect towards the individuals who endured those riots, while simultaneously crafting an energetic, entertaining, funny, & innovative production. The Reader voted it Best New Play of 2012 and I agree.
bomb.
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