➤ THE INHERITANCE, from p.34
It’s also about addiction. Mathew
has been open about his earlier
alcoholism and his recovery. The
grip of addiction can be every bit
as fatal as any terminal illness. As
with AIDS, some people make it
and some people don’t.
KENNERLEY: One central
theme is fi nding one’s place in the
world, or as Forster’s Bloomsbury
buddy Virginia Woolf said, “a room
of one’s own.” Would you agree?
HICKEY: Absolutely, the play is
all about fi nding home. Disenfranchised
men. Sick gay men. Eric becomes
homeless, Toby and Leo become
homeless. Even Henry in his
own way is rootless, despite owning
fi ve houses. The bigger metaphor
is what this country should
be. America should be a safe haven
in these troubling times. A
signifi cant part of the population
does not feel safe here. We have a
lot of room. That’s what the play is
about, offering home.
KENNERLEY: “The Inheritance”
is often compared to “Angels In
America.” Do you think the comparison
is a fair one?
HICKEY: I don’t feel comfortable
with it. I’m a student of “Angels,” it’s
one the singular greatest achievements
in the history of American
theater. “The Inheritance” is totally
different. I don’t think it is
political like “Angels,” or at least
it’s subversive in its politics. “Angels”
is a fantasia, while our play
is a more human drama. I have
the most profound respect for both
plays. Surely Matthew would agree
he was inspired by the ambition of
“Angels” on some level.
BURNAP: Both works trace generations
of gay men and are similar
in their epic, two-part structure.
But now we are in a completely
different time and each raises divergent
questions. “Angels” asks,
“Who has the power and who does
not?” Our play asks “Now that you
have this power, what do you do
with it, and what do you owe your
predecessors?
KENNERLEY: The play aims
to build a bridge between queer
generations. Andrew, given that
you were not even born during the
darkest days of the AIDS crisis,
what has the play taught you in
terms of queer history?
BURNAP: A line in the play talks
about how queer subculture has
been co-opted into the mainstream
without its deep center. Growing
up in Rhode Island, I was taught
almost nothing about AIDS and
queer history. I knew about Stonewall
but none of the specifi cs. I did
not know who Larry Kramer or
Willi Ninja were. Or what the Reagan
Administration did or didn’t do
during that horrifi c time.
It was quite a shock to learn the
extent of the AIDS epidemic. I felt
a deep sense of pain and guilt,
ashamed that I didn’t know that
hundreds of thousands of men in
their prime lost their lives. Those
feelings turned into anger, then resolve.
I felt I had to do something
so people after me would know
what happened.
KENNERLEY: Andrew, John is
of an older generation than the rest
of you. Have you learned from him
behind the scenes as well?
BURNAP: Yes, during breaks or
over drinks, he might relate fi rsthand
experiences of those lost
and those who are still here. We’ve
spent time watching period queer
movies together.
There was an incredible timeline
in the rehearsal room chronicling
key LGBTQ milestones from the
1970s to now. It drove home a visceral
understanding of what went
on.
HICKEY: There’s a bond you
create that has nothing to do with
the specifi cs of, say, the AIDS crisis.
There’s a joy I have as an older
person being around these vital,
brilliant young actors. After the
fi rst few weeks, the relationship
goes well beyond avuncular. It feels
paternal.
I wouldn’t trade places with
them, I have no envy for their
youth, and I’m quite comfortable
in my skin. That’s exactly what the
play is about, too.
THE INHERITANCE | Ethel Barrymore
Theatre, 243 W. 47th St. |
In previews, schedule varies; from
Nov. 17 opening: Part 1: Sat.-Sun. &
Wed. at 1 p.m., Thu. -Fri. at 7 p.m.;
Part 2: Sat.-Sun. & Wed. at 7 p.m.
| $69-$199 at TheInheritancePlay.
com | Each part is three hrs., 15
mins., with two intermissions
WHERE CULTURE
TICKETS FROM
KINGSTHEATRE.COM
1027 FLATBUSH AVENUE
BROOKLYN, NY 11226
IS KING
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GayCityNews.com | October 10 - October 23, 2019 35
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