BASH'd: A Gay Rap Opera is reminiscent of the 1980's

Yes, BASH'd is a bona fide hit.  It played Off-Broadway (in New York City) and has won a bunch of awards.  Written and performed by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, this fast-paced rhymin' slammin' hip-hop musical love story is told to us by two gay rappers – T-Bag and Feminem.  And the near-capacity crowd at the Cultch's opening night was rightfully impressed by their masterful performances.  

Inspired by the political debate over Equal Marriage in 2006 and the reaction of the Alberta public, these two artists used the vehicle of gay rap personas to tell the love story of Romeo and Romeo.  Though I certainly appreciate and applaud their appropriation of rap (a musical genre known for glamorizing greed, misogyny, homophobia and violence), I don't believe that this production embraces the sophistication of rap.   The political message about gay violence is told very simply – two gay men meet, fall in love and one becomes the victim of a gay-bashing.  You won't be sorry if you check it out because there are truly two strong, interesting performances anchoring a solid story.

Yet somehow, it all feels very 1980's to me.  Perhaps that's because it tells the story of the problem but offers no real hope for solutions.  There is a call to awareness only.  And I think that the only ones listening are those who support the gay community already.  Perhaps this piece is truly meant for high schools – it's earnest enough (but likely too explicit).   A gay friend of mine who saw this play said:  “Gay-bashing is a story that needs to be told.”  But I really want to hear other stories from this community and other, more complex ways of exploring this issue.  Maybe a whole show about the new adventures of T-Bag and Feminem?