Dating in the Tinder era can be tough in the best of circumstances. Between the endless swiping through superficial profiles and the risk of being ghosted, catfished or worse, it seems like a win against the odds when someone actually finds love. Add to that the grief of a broken engagement and the uncertainty of navigating romantic connections as a newly out trans man, and it’s easy to understand why Adam, the protagonist of “Modern Gentleman” at About Face Theatre, feels apprehensive about putting himself back out there.
Fortunately, in this world premiere by Chicago playwright Preston Max Allen, Adam (Alec Phan) has supportive people in his corner: sister Natalie (Ashlyn Lozano) and friend Samuel (Omer Abbas Salem). When Adam’s fiancée, Lily (Kaylah Marie Crosby), ends their relationship after a long internal struggle to reconcile her own lesbian identity with her loved one’s gender, Natalie offers sisterly sympathy while Sam makes an enthusiastic wingman. With side plot points involving open marriage and surrogate pregnancy, this warmhearted dramedy (directed by Landree Fleming) celebrates love and family in many forms.
Presented in somewhat nonlinear chronology, much of the play consists of two-hander scenes between Adam and individual characters, including his new love interest, the confident and flirtatious Alycia (Emma Fulmer). Adam and Lily, who aren’t fully out of each other’s lives after the breakup, dissect what went wrong in their relationship with a great deal of empathy and emotional intelligence. The play offers illuminating and nuanced perspectives on queer and trans identities and relationships, to the extent that some scenes feel a bit like therapy sessions, but the characters are mostly likable and the cast charming, so the overall effect isn’t too didactic.
I’d like to see Allen, who writes some wicked one-liners, lean into the comedic elements even more; the show is billed as a romantic comedy, after all. Salem’s performance is delightful — I could watch Sam banter with Adam all day — and Lozano and Phan share a playful yet sweet sibling dynamic. Fulmer also delivers some comedic moments as Alycia, whose fast-talking frankness can be quite funny, albeit tone-deaf at times. Much of the humor is sprinkled into the dialogue of more earnest scenes, but it could stand to carry fuller stretches of the action.
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“Modern Gentleman” doesn’t directly address many of the broader political and social issues affecting trans people in the United States today — it’s not that kind of play, in genre or theme — but this context looms in the background. When Alycia suggests that Adam meet her conservative family, she asks him to keep quiet about being trans, claiming they won’t understand and she doesn’t want him (and, by implication, herself) to feel uncomfortable. Adam also alludes to his strained relationship with his own parents, a rift that didn’t start with his coming out, but was widened by that revelation.
As Adam reenters the dating world, his sister encourages him to view it as a fresh start, and scenic designer Milo Bue visually evokes the idea of a blank slate by employing off-whites and greys for Adam’s studio apartment in New York City. This minimalist, monochromatic look gives lighting designer Conchita Avitia the leeway to play with colors like a mood ring, choosing hues from warm yellow to hot pink depending on the tone of each scene. Composer and sound designer Ethan Korvne livens up the unhurried scene changes with a pop-electronic score, and Jazmin Aurora Medina’s costumes suit each character type (environmentally conscious lesbian, ethically non-monogamous gay man, etc.) without looking like caricatures.
About Face Theatre has focused on LGBTQ+ stories throughout its 31-year history, and most of my favorite productions there have been intimate stories about relationships — familial, friendly and/or romantic. “Modern Gentleman” certainly follows in the same vein. While the comedic side of this rom-com could shine even more brightly with further development, the play already has a lot of heart.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: “Modern Gentleman” (3 stars)
When: Through April 18
Where: About Face Theatre at Raven Theatre, 6154 N. Clark St.
Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Tickets: $5-$75 at 773-338-2177 and aboutfacetheatre.com