Jeremy Glazer and Andrew Keegan in “He Asked For It” at the Macha Theatre in West Hollywood. (Photo credit: Amber Carroll)
He Asked For It is available to buy HERE.
HE ASKED FOR IT
by Erik Patterson
Cast: 1 female, 6 male
Genre: Drama
Keywords: LGBTQ, romance, HIV, Hollywood, tragedy
Character Breakdown:
TED: An actor from Wyoming. (20s)
NEAL / FUNSPORT9: A buff, gym dude. (20s to 30s)
RIGBY: A gaffer from Encino. (30s to 40s)
MARCUS: Ted’s agent. (30s-50s)
SOPHIE: Ted’s sister. (16)
HENRY: Not an actor. A romantic. (20s-30s)
STEVE: An athletic stud. (20s to 30s)
Synopsis:
It’s the early 2000s, before PrEP. Ted is new to Los Angeles, and newly out of the closet. He goes on a journey through Hollywood back rooms, nightclub bathrooms, and Internet chat rooms—where he meets and falls in love with Henry. But Henry doesn’t yet know how to navigate the dating landscape with his new HIV diagnosis, so he breaks things off with Ted...who then makes a desperate decision to win Henry back. He Asked For It asks how far are you willing to go for love? And how much will you forgive?
Awards:
NOMINEE, Outstanding Los Angeles Theater, 2009 GLAAD Media Awards NOMINEE, World Premiere Playwriting, 2008 Ovation Awards
WINNER, Backstage West Garland Award, Best Lead Performance NOMINEE, Best Lead Actor, 2008 Ovation Awards
3 LA WEEKLY AWARD NOMINATIONS: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Ensemble
NOMINEE, Best Lead Actor, LADCC Awards
TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2008: Frontiers Magazine
Reviews
"He Asked for It is a virally gay-centric play, very out there, and sometimes an eye-opener in its frankness and language. Despite the heated sex talk, unbelievable but apparently true practices, and porn-bespattered dialogue, its shock value is in the realization that rather than merely casual sex, most wish lists include a universal desire for identity, acceptance, and connection...Director Neil H. Weiss keeps things moving at a lively pace, getting excellent performances on the simple set...Patterson's world premiere play is FUNNY, WICKED, AND A BIT SHOCKING, moving quickly from comedy to drama."
-- Back Stage West, Madeleine Shaner
"The cast of seven creates an intimate space for the audience to enter the characters' lives completely. Patterson has accomplished quite a feat in writing a play that tackles tough issues around HIV while getting his audience to intermittently roar with laughter. Even though this play is nothing like Angels in America, I DARESAY THAT MR. KUSHNER WOULD BE PROUD."
-- The Advocate, Amita Parashar
"Love and loss in Los Angeles are BEAUTIFULLY PORTRAYED in Erik Patterson's seriocomic play."
-- Hotter In Hollywood
"Frequent flashes of potent behavioral truth... Patterson's brightest gifts -- authentic idiom, sharp humor, beautifully layered dialogue -- are on display, and the players embrace the swerving stakes...This is a BRAVE, worthy take on a difficult topic."
-- Los Angeles Times, David C. Nichols
"An amazing play...A PHENOMENAL PLAY…It was funny and sexy and dirty and smart and hilarious and sad and painful and thought-provoking and amazingly moving...I walked out of He Asked for It and into the cold rain simply thrilled with the whole experience. As I drove home, I said to myself, 'This is why actors need to do really great theatre. This is why casting directors need to get their asses out there and see really great theatre.'"
-- showfax.com, Bonnie Gillespie
"The show is really a treat: sexy, PROVOCATIVE, controversial and hilarious to boot... brave and brazen."
-- BeOneCity.com, Kiff Scholl
"...A REMARKABLY INSIGHTFUL VIEW OF URBAN GAY LIFE IN THE 21st CENTURY… a work with universal themes about loneliness in the big city and the fragility of the human heart. "
-- Frontiers Magazine
"Writer Erik Patterson has written an AIDS play with a difference. His take on the subject is fresh, provocative and unpredictable, his characters are ENGAGINGLY HUMAN, and he finds plenty of comedy along the way."
-- LA Weekly, Neal Weaver .
"Gay-themed dramas charting thematic territory that feels truly new are rare, and those that pack a knockout dramatic punch are even harder to come by...Erik Patterson's gripping and intelligent new play feels like a watershed piece. This is a frank and eye-opening view of contemporary urban gay culture that's hard-hitting without being exploitative. It's AS FUNNY AS IT IS TRAGIC, eloquently reflecting the bittersweet contradictions of life...this is a vital new work deserving strong audience support... There's much to celebrate here, including Neil H. Weiss' crisp and finely nuanced direction and Egender's charismatic and heart-wrenching portrayal. A splendid production design, with a sophisticated high-tech feel, enhances the crackling dramatic tension."
-- IN LA Magazine, Les Spindle