The Glines

Founded in 1976 by John Glines, Barry Laine and Jerry Tobin, The Glines is a not-for-profit organization devoted to creating and presenting gay art in order to develop positive self-images and dispel negative stereotyping. In 1983, The Glines production of Harvey Fierstein's "Torch Song Trilogy" [ Mel Gussow [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=1&html_title=&tols_title=TORCH%20SONG%20TRILOGY%20(PLAY)&pdate=19811101&byline=By%20MEL%20GUSSOW&id=1077011431802&oref=slogin THEATER: FIERSTEIN'S TORCH SONG] "The New York Times", November 1, 1981.] won Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor. The Glines/Circle Repertory Company co-production of William M. Hoffman's "As Is" [ Frank Rich [http://www.aegis.com/news/nyt/1985/NYT850306.html Stage: 'As Is,' About AIDS, Opens] "The New York Times", March 11, 1985.] won the 1985 Drama Desk Award for Best Play and was nominated for Tony Awards in the categories of Best Play, Best Director and Best Actor. And The Glines/PSX production of Howard Crabtree's "Whoop-Dee-Doo!" [ Stephen Holden [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9F0CE5D61430F936A35754C0A965958260 Theater Review: Dusting Off the Spirit of Ziegfeld] "The New York Times", July 5,1993.] won the 1994 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revue and Best Costume Design.

Other notable successes produced by The Glines include Jane Chambers’ [ The Eight Faces of Jane [http://www.8facesofjane.com/] ] "Last Summer At Bluefish Cove", [ The Purple Circuit, Old Plays are Gold. [http://www.buddybuddy.com/pc-f-08.html] ] "My Blue Heaven", [ Beth A. Kattelman [http://www.glbtq.com/literature/chambers_j.html Chambers, Jane (1937-1983)] glbtq, an encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & queer culture website] and "The Quntessential Image" [ Stephen Holden [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?pagewanted=print&res=950DE7DB163AF934A2575BC0A96F948260 Review/Theater; Comedy of Self-Acceptance And a Portrait of Its Writer] "The New York Times", August 17, 1989.] , Doric Wilson’s "A Perfect Relationship" and "Forever After" [ On "Forever After" [http://doricwilson.com/foreverafter.asp] Doric Wilson website ] , Victor Bumbalo’s "Niagara Falls", Richard Hall’s "Love Match", Sydney Morris’ "If This Isn’t Love!" and "The Wind Beneath My Wings", [ [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsM/morris-sidney.html If This Isn’t Love!] Doollee.com] Arch Brown’s "Newsboy" [ Arch Brown biography [http://www.archbrown.com/bio.htm] Arch Brown website] and "Sex Symbols" [ [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsB/brown-arch.html Sex Symbols] Doollee.com] , Joseph Pintauro’s "Wild Blue", [ Stephen Holden [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B0DE7DF1339F933A1575AC0A961948260 Stage: Short Plays on Gay Themes] "The New York Times", September 20, 1987.] Anthony Bruno’s "Soul Survivor", Robert Patrick’s "T-Shirts" and "Untold Decades", [ [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsP/patrick-robert.html#27274 Robert Patrick] Doollee.com] Tom Wilson Weinberg’s musical "Get Used To It", [ Gary L. Day [http://www.tomwilsonweinberg.com/PGN-GUTIreview.htm Weinberg’s GET USED TO IT!”] PGN March 27 - April 2, 1992,] An Evening With Quentin Crisp" [ Anita Gates [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE4DF1F3CF935A15755C0A96E958260 THEATER REVIEW; Crisp, So Stylishly 89, Gets To the Point, Well, Crisply] "The New York Times", June 26, 1998.] , a number of plays by John Glines, including "On Tina Tuna Walk, Men Of Manhattan, Body And Soul" and "Murder In Disguise", plus the First and Second Gay American Arts Festivals in 1980 and 1981. [ Happy Gay Day [http://www.malcontent.biz/blog/?p=89 TODAY IN HISTORY (May 19) 1980] "The Malcontent" website] [ [http://www.columbustheatrefestival.com/aboutus.html Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival] ]

One of the most prestigious benefits given by The Glines was at Town Hall in 1982. It was three one-act plays: "The Quintessential Image" by Jane Chambers with Peg Murray in the title role, "Forget Him" by Harvey Fierstein with Harvey Fierstein, Estelle Getty and Court Miller, and "A Loss of Memory" by Arthur Laurents with Richard DeFabees, who played Arnold in matinee performances of "Torch Song Trilogy". [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E5DB163BF933A25753C1A964948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Long Island Journal] The New York Times, October 10, 1982.]

The Glines broke into television in 1986 with its acclaimed production of "Hero of My Own Life", a documentary on the life of a person living with AIDS. [ John Corry [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE1D81339F930A15755C0A960948260 HERO OF MY OWN LIFE, STORY OF AIDS PATIENT] "The New York Times", June 23, 1986.]

Among the thousands of artists who have appeared with The Glines are Caroline Aaron, Pat Bond, Matthew Broderick, Charles Busch, Thomas Calabro, Andrea Dworkin, Harvey Fierstein, Estelle Getty, Allen Ginsberg, Judy Grahn, Jonathan Hadary, Lou Liberatore, Audre Lorde, Dan Lauria, Armistead Maupin, Mark Morris, Park Overall, Felice Picano, James Purdy, John Rechy, Ned Rorem, Mercedes Ruehl, Vito Russo, Richard Skipper, Jean Smart, Fisher Stevens, Robin Tyler, Edmund White and Jack Wrangler

References

Other Productions (Reviews)

* [http://www.queermusicheritage.us/gm-fasc.html "Fascination"] "Michael’s Thing", 1975
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE4DC153EF931A25752C0A960948260 "Dancing for Our Lives"] Jennifer Dunning, "The New York Times", January 12, 1986.
* [http://www.oobr.com/top/volFive/three/dance.html "Good Sense" and "Dancing on Ice"] James A. Lobata, "oobr", Summer 1988.
* [http://www.geocities.com/edwardcrosbywells/thor.html "Thor’s Day"] Edward Crosby Wells (author) website
* [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&res=9F0CEFDA133FF93AA15757C0A965958260&oref "Meet Marvin"] D.J.R. Bruckner, "The New York Times", April 29, 1993

External links

* [http://www.glbtq.com/arts/theater_companies,2.html TOSOS and The Glines] An encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & queer culture website
* [http://www.queermusicheritage.us/gm-gulp.html Info and pics on "Gulp!"] One actor’s experience, "Queer Music Heritage" website