Rave: The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures

Ah, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - where to begin? With a joke about how I consider myself to be an intelligent homosexual? With pictures of Michael Esper in only underwear? Or straight to the gushing?

Straight to the gushing it is - Tony Kushner's Intelligent Homosexual is now playing at the Public Theater. This play is theater at its best, and you should go buy tickets now, before they sell out.

Gus, the family patriarch, played by Michael Cristofer, calls his three children, Empty, Pill and V (Linda Emond, Stephen Spinella and Steven Pasquale) to his home in Brooklyn for a family meeting. We all know family meetings usually bring bad news, and this meeting goes on for three days, nicely portrayed in three acts. They talk, debate and argue with rich, engaging dialogue that educates the audience as much as it entertains.

Gus has very different, complicated relationships with each of his three children, who in turn have even more complicated relationships in their personal lives. As the immediate family debates communism, labor unions and assisted suicide, the romantic lives of the three children spin out of control on the fringes of the story.

The main set is a beautiful, realistic Brownstone dining room, complete with a front door and second story bedroom. Gus was born in that house and lived there his whole life, which is reflected in the set, full of a lifetime's worth of memories. During an argument, V smashes a hole in one of the walls (which is surely replaced daily for the next performance); this move makes the house seem real, not a temporary piece of scenery.  Similar to the recent production of Angels in America at Signature Theatre, Intelligent Homosexual gives the audience a feeling of voyeurism. You can completely forget that you are at the theater, and feel like you're peeking in your neighbor's window during one hell of a weekend. This effect results from a combination of Kushner's writing, Michael Greif's brilliant direction and a skilled group of actors who are very comfortable in their roles.

Seeing Intelligent Homosexual will leave you feeling haunted and questioning. It warrants a second visit to take time to notice the nuanced performances and dynamic Kushner story telling. So really, book your tickets now and early enough in the run so you can go back again before the show closes on June 12.