Playwright/performer Holly Hughes was one of the notorious "NEA 4" who came under attack by Jesse Helms and other grant-revoking members of Congress because of her forthright lesbianism.  Jesse and pals are gone now, and Hughes just received a 2010 Guggenheim fellowship. Hah!  She teaches at the University of Michigan and travels the country delivering generous, witty and thought-provoking solo shows.  Here she unites with Chicago-based director, Megan Carney, and some familiar downtown performers, Maureen Angelos (of the Five Lesbian Brothers) and Miss Loisaida, Carmelita Tropicana, to put on a topical show about gay marriage called Let Them Eat Cake.
 
Hi Holly.  Tell me about your latest.
The idea for the show came off one of the rallies after the passage of Proposition 8 and other anti-gay marriage laws.  I was in one at Chicago and I saw that our feelings about marriage are complicated.  It's not just yes or no.  A lot of people stood up because the law was homophobic.  But there were also a lot of gay people who said, "Marriage is retro, let's get rid of it entirely," and "One of the good things about being gay is that you don't have to get married."
 
So how did this become a show?
I thought it was important to get this conversation on stage.  And, of course, I always take these topics on with humor, because I feel you can bring more people into the conversation that way.  I had wanted to work with director Megan Carney, and it seemed like a good project to collaborate on.  Our first idea was a discussion among gay groups about marriage: whether we wanted it.  But that question was as complicated as with any family who were about to have a marriage they didn't approve of.  Is he or she good enough for the other, etc.?  And so, inevitably, we turned to Tony & Tina's Wedding for a model; the model for avant-garde, politically charged theater. We thought it would be fun to raise the questions of marriage using the wedding ceremony. And, if all else failed, at least there would be cake.
 
Ah, now I understand the title. So how is it going to work?
There are six women in it and two men.  It follows the marriage of a gay couple, Juan and Steve, two gay guys who have a lot of lesbian friends.
 
Who plays what?
I'm the wedding planner with ADD.  Maureen Angelos is Steve's Greek immigrant aunt, Athena.  Elizabeth Whitney and Lea Robinson are a couple.  Elizabeth's character, Sophie, is not so sure she wants to be at a gay wedding; she thinks it's wrong for the gay movement today for gays to marry. Her partner Lea, whose character is J.T., feels it's important to show up for your friends.  She has another agenda as well, but she doesn't want Sophie to spoil the wedding.  Then we have the Reverend Carmelita Tropicana, who will deliver a homily.  Micia Mosely plays a friend.  She and J.T. have a "past" together, and the audience gets to decide how much of it is past.
 
Then what happens?
Thanks to my character, and my ADD, there's a little bit of a hiccup, and the wedding thing threatens to run off the rails. Logan, Megan Carney's character, steps in and makes sure everyone gets gay married.
 
So it is a play?
It's a play, but there's audience participation. No one is put on the hot seat that doesn't want to be button-holed.  We've done the show in workshop and we've found audiences have a lot to say on this topic.  The play was written by all of us, but Megan is the director, and she has made sure that it brings in voices from the audience.  We did it in Chicago and part of the fun  and excitement is that everyone's got something to say about marriage and weddings and this issue.
 
Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie St., (212) 219-0736. Dec. 2-18. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; matinees, Dec. 4 & 11, 2 p.m. $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $18 for students.