A  STOOL  AT  THE  END  OR  THE  BAR   at 59E59

(Seen November 18, 2014)


This is a complicated, if simplistic, story of a transgender man living as the wife of a blue-collar working-man and his three children.  Suddenly the family discovers that the loving wife and step-mother was born as a male.  

The husband's reactions are volatile, as he searches his soul for answers --- doubting his own masculinity along the way.  He is angry and hurt, while his children are full of bewilderment.

Unfortunately, the characters are stereotypical, and despite a lengthy back-story, the character of the wife is under-developed. Because of this, the character comes across as somewhat indifferent and aloof.  She seems unable to understand her family's reactions.

As with far too many plays these days, the action just stops. Although  in  real  life  there  are  loose  ends  without a real resolution, we expect more in a dramatic work.  The play also fails to give the audience an emotional involvement.