One of the characters has just gone into a drug-induced fit and become unconscious the others sit nearby ignoring him and launching into a series of monologues about dangerous or disappointing encounters they have had in the past.
There is a scene near the end of the play that could come off as downright ludicrous. At first blush, it might seem odd that the characters spend much more of their time talking about past practices and experiences rather than, um, making new ones. The combination can feel awkward at times, and unrealistic. Each member of the audience is handed a package of condoms as they enter the theater.ĭarney’s evident intent is to have you react to “5 Guys Chillin’” as both an entertainment and as a powerful – and graphic - cautionary tale. The other is as something of a public service announcement by writer and director Peter Darney, who, like the Larry Kramer of his generation, is warning members of the gay community about self-destructive excess. The Soho Playhouse even permits the audience to bring in drinks from the downstairs Huron Club. One is as a seductive entertainment in which fit young performers are dancing and smiling and snuggling and generally seem to be having fun, at least initially. There are two ways to take “5 Guys Chillin’,” Peter Darney’s play in the Fringe Encore series that takes place among five half-naked gay characters at a drug-fueled sex party.
