Review: Sitcom-style play ‘To My Girls’ critiques Instagay culture

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – I left “To My Girls,” a show ostensibly about elder millennial gay men’s friendships, feeling extremely grateful for my friends. It wasn’t just that it was a few days past Thanksgiving or that the sitcom-style play stirred warm feelings.

This was a thankfulness borne of what my friends are not: catty, selfish, mean, destructive.

During the intermission of the 120-minute play at Diversionary Theatre, I even texted the group chat that if we had our own reunion trip to Palm Springs, it would lead to epic fun and real community feeling — not the lying, cheating, manipulating and stealing of the partners seen on stage.

In other words, Diversionary’s 40th season production of JC Lee’s play is a ferocious critique of Instagay culture.

It’s not a critique of wider LGBTQ+ culture or queer culture (although there are a few jabs about each). Instead, the mirror faces the racism, shallowness, self-righteous fake wokeness, hedonism, social media obsession and hypocrisy of gay men in their late 30s.

Yes, it is incredibly niche. But thankfully, it’s also really funny.

Cutting dialogue, blatant sexual humor and wild antics made the audience bust up so consistently that it sounded like a laugh track from the ‘80s in the small theater.

Between witty repartee, the characters do wonder if they are wasting the liberation their forefathers fought for with lying and hiding their true selves even to their semblance of a community – just like gay men who were forced to do so in the past.

The generational critiques come from two supporting characters: the boomer/Trump voter/drag queen/AirBnB host Bernie (Frank DiPalermo) and a thoughtful Gen Z queer, Omar (Jocorey Mitchell), picked up at a bar.

The core friend group includes the performatively flamboyant Asian-American writer/barista Castor (Wilfred Paloma), who pines after the white, hot and rich influencer Curtis (Wil Bethmann), whose libido causes the most conflict in the play. New York City-based Black queer social media activist Leo (Zack King) is the only friend who has matured a bit since they met in their 20s, yet is as fabulous and offensive as the rest. Late arrival Jeff, played by Luke Harvey Jacobs who also choreographed the play’s dance numbers, serves as ridiculous humor and sad boy at the climax of the show.

The earnest and effective actors made some of the insufferable characters more palatable than the script alone could. Each man could be a minor villain but are somehow as lovable as they are hateable – even the libidinous Curtis.

But don’t be fooled. “To My Girls” might have the familiar beats, ensemble cast and humor of a sitcom, but it lacks the easy episodic resolution therein. For those who have watched “Mid-Century Modern,” a “Golden Girls”-inspired show about gay men of a certain age in Palm Springs, don’t expect the friends to hug out conflicts like Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham. The friends might be chosen family, but the play reminds the audience why some people go no-contact with their families.

Debut Diversionary Theatre director Jesse Marchese kept the play moving sharply, even as Lee’s script had some dragging monologues and muddled plot lines. Scenic designer Mathys Herbert captured the kitschy aesthetic of Palm Springs and lent into the sitcom-style setting of the play. Costume designer Denita Lee was spot-on accurate with neon speedos, caftans and a cheap revenge outfit. Lighting designer Joshua Heming was likewise excellent.

“To My Girls” has one weekend left at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights at 4545 Park Blvd. Tickets remain for Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $55.50 at diversionary.org or by calling the box office at 619-220-6830.