Boy
Opening Night: March 10, 2016
Closing: April 9, 2016
Theater: Clurman Theatre
Inspired by a true story, Anna Ziegler’s “Boy” explores the tricky terrain of finding love amidst the confusion of sexual identity, and the inextricable bond between a doctor and patient. In the 1960s, a well-intentioned doctor convinces the parents of a male infant to raise their son as a girl after a terrible accident. Two decades later, the repercussions of that choice continue to unfold. A story of the blinding power of love and the complicated mystery of one’s perception of self, Boy is a moving play that calls into question how we become who we are.
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March 10, 2016
Bobby Steggert is a good little girl. Let me clarify: In the title role of “Boy,” the diligent new play by Anna Ziegler that opened on Thursday night at the Clurman Theater at Theater Row, Mr. Steggert is very good at portraying a little girl who wants to be good but is thwarted by the discomfort that comes from being born a boy, a fact of which she (he) is unaware. Hmm. That’s a confusing clarification, isn’t it? But just imagine how confused you’d be if you were Samantha (born Samuel, later known as Adam). Her bewilderment is affectingly and persuasively embodied by Mr. Steggert, a gifted actor in his 30s who assumes the aspect of a child in a dress without any assistance from a feminine costume, a wig or even a toddler’s lisp. What he does convey is the heartbreaking unease of someone who has been denied the chance to inhabit the body he was born with. Best known for his sensitive performances in musicals (“Ragtime,” “Yank!”), the open-faced Mr. Steggert once again brings disquieting shadows to his naturally sunny presence.
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