Stage Shirtlessness

So yesterday I went to see Sarah Ruhl's new play, "Stage Kiss" at Playwrights' Horizons, and in addition to being to treated to a female protagonist, some hilarious jokes about a life in the theater, and several very touching moments not to mention a whole lot of stage kissing, I was delighted to see some live male shirtlessness exhibited by the leading man, Dominic Fumusa.  I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Fumusa in Sarah Ruhl's "Passion Play" a few years ago, and thought he was an amazing actor who was able to bring great humanity to the three roles he played in that production.  Shirtlessness aside, I think I enjoyed Mr. Fumusa's performance in "Stage Kiss" most of all, a vulnerable portrait of a flawed man who is as good as he is bad for his leading lady.  When he appears shirtless in the second act, he seems most vulnerable, most open, and most real.  Strangely, I thought his sexiest shirtless moment, was as he put his clothes back on.  And unlike, most of the shirtlessness seen on stage and screen today, Mr. Fumusa looks like a real man as opposed to one who has been plucked and preened and worked out to a very specific image.  Not to say that I don't like all those muscle-y guys taking off their shirts (Gilles Marini, please don't change a thing!), but there was something wonderful about seeing a man whose body had not been waxed and oiled on stage.  I also do not want to imply that Mr. Fumusa is not in shape or does not look good; he is and he does!  His shirtlessness was just of a less self-congratulatory nature than the prevailing norm, and I liked it.

In other stage shirtlessness news, EST currently has a show running called "Fast Company" written by my friend and colleague Carla Ching which also features some brief but delightful and totally sensible shirtlessness.  The play runs for another week, and if you would like to see it, use the code MAYI for 25% off tickets.  Carla's fast and funny play follows a con by a family of grifters who also happen to be Asian.  Unlike a lot of ethnic dramas that get produced, the play is not about ethnicity or anyone's sadness about being Asian but rather a tale of family dysfunction and love all wrapped up in game theory.

So there are two places you can go to see some good shirtlessness along with your entertainment this week.  Get going!  Until then, I am...

Yours in shirtlessness,
Nandita
President