What I liked
I hate Chad, but god is he funny. This “toxic male” character is so clearly written to poke fun at this type of person, and the exact points he makes are refuted in later arguments out of character, making the writing come full circle so nicely.
What I didn't like
I would love to see the pace picked up a tad, which I know is something that will come with more performances. Everything landed, but I feel it may be possible to get more visceral audience reactions if the pacing was a bit faster.
My overall impression
James Leonida’s Bro! was such a charming show with a strong commentary on the meaning of gender. James provides definitions for masculinity from two perspectives: his own, as a trans artist, and from his terrifying/hilarious character, Chad, providing a brilliant satire of “alpha male” culture paired with such an honest approach to gender identity from a queer perspective. I had the pleasure of seeing the first preview and I am so excited for more people to experience James’s greatness as an actor and writer. Such an important show for today, would highly recommend.
