In ‘Mr. Parker,’ naked emotions are more powerful than naked bodies
Welcome to Curtain Call, our mostly queer take on the latest theater openings on Broadway and beyond.Playwright Michael McKeever’s new play Mr.
Parker is getting a lot of buzz thanks to its well-publicized nudity and the use of Yondr pouches to sequester audience members’ phones like the ones used at Take Me Out, starring a famously naked Jesse Williams.But what you can’t lock away — and what’s best experienced live in a theatre rather than trolled across social media — is the grief, resiliency, and healing that comes after losing a loved one.After the sudden death of Jeffrey, his partner of 30 years, and a night of heavy drinking several months later, Terry Parker (Derek Smith) wakes up with Justin, a 28-year-old bartender/Uber driver (Davi Santos) in his deceased husband’s former East Village art studio.
A relationship of sorts develops, much to the dismay of Parker’s sister-in-law Cassandra (Mia Matthews), who’s intent on preserving her brother’s estate.Related: Don’t miss these 16 LGBTQ theatrical events of the summerThe fleeting flesh in Mr.
Parker is a purposefully awkward moment that most sexually active queer men have experienced at one point. The morning after a hook-up, you find yourself in the company of a relative stranger, asking if he can use the new toothbrush found in your medicine cabinet.The morning-after turns into weeks for Terry and Justin, as the unlikely pair with a 25-year age difference finds commonality in their quest for intimacy.
