About the Play:
Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays is the collective title for nine one-act plays by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick, and Doug Wright, conceived by Brian Shnipper. Responding to the ongoing battle for marriage equality throughout the United States some of of Broadway's best writers have created a heartfelt, funny and altogether illuminating evening that celebrates the courage to be in a relationship — any relationship.
Two little words, and suddenly your whole world changes. An A-list lineup of writers (with 2 Pulitzer Prizes, 4 Obies, 1 Emmy and 3 Tony nominations) offers unique takes on the moments before, during and after "I do." Witty, warm and occasionally wacky, these plays are vows to the blessings of equality, the universal challenges of relationships and the often hilarious power of love.
The Revision by Jordan Harrison is an amusing look at how two men go about writing their wedding vows to reflect the limited options available to a gay couple.
This Flight Tonight by Wendy MacLeod asks if there can be any hope for happiness when a lesbian couple travels to Iowa to take their vows.
The Gay Agenda is Paul Rudnick's sad, yet hilarious appeal for restricting marriage to that between a man and a woman by an Ohio homemaker, who is a member of the extreme right wing religiously conservative, Focus on the Family.
On Facebook by Doug Wright takes on social media by following an actual Facebook thread chronicling a discussion on the subject of gay marriage, which starts out innocently and ends up as an all-out assault.
Strange Fruit by Neil LaBute is the story of two men in love whose plans to get married "the old-fashioned way" are stymied when reality rears its ugly head.
A Traditional Wedding by Mo Gaffney gives a glimpse of a long "married" lesbian couple reminiscing about their "wedding."
My Husband by Paul Rudnick gives a delightful glimpse into the machinations of an ultra liberal Jewish mother who is desperate to find a husband for her gay son.
London Mosquitoes by Moisés Kaufman's poignant story of a man who, at his husband's funeral, tries to make sense of the loss.
Pablo And Andre At The Altar Of Words is José Rivera's snapshot of two men who use their wedding vows to say the things that people never really say to each other.
Cast: 3 women, 3 men (doubling, flexible casting)
Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, started in 2011 in Los Angeles as a series of fund raising events, when the issue of same sex marriage was in the news in an on-again, off-again legal fight for legalization in California.
What people say:
"Standing on Ceremony puts a human face on a hot-button issue and delivers laughter and tears rather than propaganda." — BackStage
"All you have to do is listen, shed an occasional tear and laugh a lot. There is something for everybody… Standing on Ceremony holds a magnifying glass to the highs and lows, joys and fears, courage and silliness, of people bucking trends and making history. It's a fine evening, heartily recommended." — New York Observer
"A feel-good show celebrating gay marriage. The unifying theme of same-sex marriage gives this collection its strong identity. The individual plays don’t share the same perspective or speak in the same voice. Which keeps things interesting." — Variety