Event

Rebel Boy Fireworks

THE GAY NEXT DOOR
With the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the invisible community of gays and lesbians fiercely took on greater visibility in America. But gays and lesbians have always been part of the nations social fabricoften hiding in plain sight. REBEL BOY FIREWORKS flashes back to 1966 and disproves any notion that those pre-Stonewall days were a simpler time.
Meet Dennis Earl Massey. Hes the sole contributor to THE BUSY BEE, society column in the Elsinora Tennessee paper. He directs, produces and even costumes all the local musical productions. Hes an event planner and photojournalist. But most importantly, hes always at the right place at the right time to witness all the dishy doings around town .

Our evening with Dennis starts on a high (if frantic) note. Hes on deadline and his phone wont stop ringing. Opening night of THE KING AND I may have to be cancelled because Tuptim has pinkeye. His mother needs another can of Ajax post haste and her frenzied dog PeeWee demands his immediate attention. Just when hes about the give it all up and run away to Key West, the phone rings with a call for help from his friend Esther Chalmers. It seems her husband Hugh Sr. (who is also the mayor of Elsinora and owner of Rebel Boy Fireworks) is leaving her to shack up with his mistress Lila Cherry and her son Cecil is swanning around the house as Puccinis heroine Turandot, no doubt reacting to the alarming news that hes been called before the draft board.

Ever leaping to the rescue, Dennis introduces us to all the players in this small town drama, including the other Chalmers sonbleary redneck and rookie Klansman Hugh Jr, corpulent and corrupt Justice Horace McClellan, his daughter (and Hugh Jr.s finance) put-upon Kitty McClellan, Cecils boon companion Eli and his mother accounting whiz Melindy, charlatan vocal coach Wiley Swilley and many others.

All the characters are played in rapid succession (and with effortless aplomb) by co-author and star Byron Loyd. The action reaches a fever pitch at a catastrophic wedding ceremony and culminates backstage at a benighted production of Turandot.
And in the center of it all is the Gay Next Door, Dennis Earl Massey. Though taught (in his own words) not to show his feathers, he is anything but invisible and ultimately indispensable. But will Dennis get what he needs to make him happy?
Only time will tell.