What I liked
Subject matter, prose, and acting were all very strong. Molly is an incredibly charismatic performer, even as she does awful things, the audience can’t help but stay on Butch’s side. The overall arc of the story was very strong, Butch ends in a place much happier than at the start of the play, leaving the audience with an uplifting feeling. Too many queer stories end in disaster and I think it is not only smart, but necessary to tell stories in which our queer protagonist A lives to tell the tale and B is a lesbian who is going to be okay.
My favorite piece was when Molly was able to play with the Noir genre while cheating on her partner. That was a real joy to see and the audience LOVEd it. How did you make me root for a cheater?
What I didn't like
I would love to see Butch explore their own gender. No matter where that lands, I think it would be really interesting to see her experiment. It’s more relevant than ever and could really lead to an exciting revelation or farcical circumstance that Molly could play for laughs hard. At this point, I think it’s more normal for a cis person to question their gender than not, leaning into maybe fem or maybe masc to play the field.
My overall impression
An exploration of the changing queer landscape in Hollywood and beyond. “Modern Butchood” functions as a eulogy for our protagonist’s failing long term, Sapphic relationship. Beginning as prototypical uhaul lesbians, Butch details her experience as falls out of infatuation with her partner. Was it ever love? This theater-goer thinks not! Sometimes, continuing a dead relationship is easier than a break up.
Gloeckner juggles delicate subject matter with a deft hand, providing an enjoyable theatrical experience for those both in and out of the queer-know.
