Northampton Community College Summer Theatres "Jeffrey" on stage at the Bethlehem Township college through June 26, is a humorous and poignant look at love during the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s.
Written in 1993 by Paul Rudnick, the story is a snapshot of a very specific time and the very real fears that gay men faced in New York City at the height of the spread of AIDS.
Jeffrey, an aspiring actor mainly works as a cater waiter and has seen too many memorials for otherwise-healthy men in their 20s, and isnt sure he can handle the pain of falling for someone just to watch him die.
Danny Rowe is appealing as the conflicted Jeffrey who decides to stay safe by swearing off sex and then falls in love with a hunky guy he meets at the gym who just happens to be HIV positive. Rowe is great at delivering Jeffreys hilarious lines, from laugh-out-loud double entendres to wry self-awareness, and imbues Jeffrey with an earnestness and authenticity despite his jokes about his own sexual compulsion. On stage for most of the play, Rowe is the heart of the show, conveying an almost frantic energy that moves everything forward.
David Lippincott is engaging and charismatic as Jeffreys crush Steve, making the character alternately flirtatious and frustrated as he is attracted to Jeffrey but also angered by his ambivalence about dating an HIV positive man. He is painfully compelling when he snaps and directly addresses being HIV positive in the second act.
Jarrod Yuskauskas is entertaining as Sterling, an older, style-obsessed interior decorator and Jeffreys friend and confidant. Yuskauskas Sterling is overly confident and sure of himself and while he seems flippant, Yuskauskas reveals the depth of his emotions over the course of the show.
Michael Mottram as Sterlings younger lover Darius is hilarious as an enthusiastically over-the-top flamboyant dancer. Darius dances in "Cats" and one of the funniest moments is when he appears on stage in a cat costume and imagine his name being sung to tune of "Memory."
The talented ensemble of Jadon Lopez, Nathan Angelo, Harrison Sakai and Madeline Gambon expertly transform themselves into a variety of comedic characters from to a game show host to patrons of the Lower Manhattan Gentlemens Masturbation Society.
Gambon, the only female cast member, shines as the host of a Hoedown for AIDS fundraiser and as a postmodern televangelist self-help guru.
Angelo also is amusing as a lascivious priest and a nervous news anchor covering a gay Pride parade while wearing an unfortunate toupee.
Director Bill Mutimer, Artistic Producing Director of NCC's Summer Theatre program, keeps the tone buoyant, while still allowing the more serious moments to come through.
The simple, but cleverly designed set featuring rainbow colored outlines of high rise buildings, evokes a feeling of the city.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. June 16-18 and 22-25; and 2 p.m. June 19 and 26 in the Norman Roberts Lab Theatre, 3835 Green Pond Rd., Bethlehem.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students.
Masks are optional and there is general seating.
For tickets call 484-484-3412 or go to www.ncctix.org.