Wig Out

Imagine a world of high fashion and glamour, fast talk and colloquialism, coyness and confidence and as much bravura as one can shove into a few hours of theater. Wig Out is that world.
But such descriptions don’t even do this off-Broadway play justice, nor do they reveal the thoughtfulness behind the play’s outer façade. Aptly named for the transference of the metaphorical wig from character to character throughout the production, Wig Out dramatizes the lifestyle of the House of Light, a community of gay and cross-dressing men who view themselves as a family. (For those who have yet to be inducted into the drag queen world, a helpful glossary is provided in the handbill.)

Wig Out features a wide array of character types, though no one protagonist takes center stage. Aside from the individuals of Light are the Fates — three “real” women who both narrate and take part in the story — and the House of Di’Abolique, which fittingly refers to the family of antagonistic characters. Director Tina Landau creates a fascinating contrast between this strange, unfamiliar world and our own. Wig Out’s universe is different to say the least, and to be part of it for the duration of the play is both alluring and difficult.

Eric, the character who best personifies the audience’s feelings, is a “normal” gay man who, upon a meet-cute with transvestite Wilson/Nina on a train, is dragged into this sensuous and bold society. He is as confused as we are when he struggles to make sense of the hierarchy in this alternate universe. Nevertheless, it seems as though Nina will successfully seduce him into accepting her family’s customs.

But while certain grand allusions to Shakespeare’s time-old Romeo and Juliet can be picked out of the play’s script, simply caricaturing the work of a long-dead playwright is not the goal of this performance. They are the outcasts of polite society who have finally found a haven. Diving headfirst into their idea of home and raw sensuality, we feel somewhat shy —the banter is both witty and profane and the actors are so close that we feel uncomfortable intruding on this society that we do not understand. The audience seats are placed directly in front and to the sides of the stage’s makeshift runway, which only further heightens the intimacy.

The climax of the production comes from the “Cinderella ball” in which the Houses challenge each other to frenzied runway shows in order to establish dominance.

Actors saunter across the walkway to the pulse of the White Stripes, Rihanna, and Destiny’s Child, lip-synching to the music and incorporating their own dance choreography to the beat. However, it does not matter which House wins the ball in the end — the resolutions of the twisted relationships in this play consume all other thought. Refusing to pander to simplistic happiness, Wig Out is defined by the troubles that plague the characters and indeed, plague us all. Secret desires exist in everyone; here, they are accentuated and explored. Just as we are beginning to get the feel for this rhythm, the tone changes yet again to illuminate another facet of the bizarre, and perhaps lets us understand it just a bit more. High-minded society beware: this is not a play for the faint of heart, or those who are not willing to abandon a little normalcy for the sake of insight. - Sophia Jih