When two white-and-pink-clad gay men walk onto a smoke-filled stage adorned in sneakers, ball caps and fluffy oversized angel wings – it’s hard to know what to expect. But, 10 minutes into Nathan Cuckow and Chris Craddock’s quick-witted and sidesplitting rhymes about growing up gay, you don’t care where it’s going. You just know that you like it.
From start to finish, the two host characters of BASH’d, under the rap personas “Feminem” and “T-Bag,” challenge their audience. They challenge us to wave our wrists in the air, think strongly about historical opposition to equal rights for gay people and, most importantly, follow along with their rapid-fire “hip-hopera.” The two actors put on a thought-provoking 65-minute show that is filled with catchy beats arranged by Aaron Macri, choreographed moves, and equal parts impressive singing and rapping.
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BASH'd Directed by Ron Jenkins.
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BASH’d tells the story of Jack and Dillon, two “star-crossed lovers” from different backgrounds who meet, fall madly in love and become husband and husband. Their perfect love story is shattered when Jack falls victim to a brutal gay-bashing, and Dillon becomes poisoned with rage, vowing a violent revenge against any straight person in his path. Similarly to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic story of love and loss, the men of BASH’d prove that retaliation through anger and aggression can never do as much good as vocalizing or politicizing one’s strife.
Craddock and Cuckow divvy up the roles of several characters between them, which truly highlights the versatile abilities of both actors. The intricate song, rap and dance sequences include, most noticeably, extremely mature content that does nothing if not loosen up an unsuspecting audience.
Outside of the howls of audience laughter and tongue-in-cheek jokes, Craddock and Cuckow bring the story back to reality, closing the show by shouting a list of men and women who have been killed by gay-bashing. After an energetic and moving hour, it is quite clear why the acclaimed play has bounced from Alberta to New York City and back since 2006. As long as these two continue to rhyme their opinions in packed venues, their progressive social commentary will remain at the forefront of discussions, where it belongs. The pair sums up their own objective in the most charming way, saying they’re not just there to “delight your ears, pimp your cheers,” they just want us to “think about out there while you’re in here.”