Living on the edge

The life of a flamboyant 91-year-old transvestite living in New York is most certainly an interesting one. So playwright Tim Fountain didn't need to work terribly hard to make Resident Alien, a play based on the autobiography of famed homosexual writer Quentin Crisp, into a humorous, witty work _ the material was already there.

From Sept. 4-28, the Theater Offensive, a company committed to presenting original gay and lesbian theater throughout the country, held its "Out on the Edge" festival in Boston. This year's festival, the eleventh of its kind, featured six gay-themed works by up-and-coming local artists. I had the pleasure of recently seeing well-known West End veteran Bette Bourne in Resident Alien, the final play of the festival's run.

The original book version of Resident Alien is a recollection of Crisp's years in New York, featuring selections of his diary from 1990-1994. Crisp first stepped into the limelight in 1968 when he published his autobiographical work, The Civil Servant. He quickly rose to fame in England, and he was hailed as "one of the stately homos" of Britain. But Crisp was no typical homosexual man _ though he was determinately effeminate, he shunned gay pride and gay activists, regarding homosexuality as an illness. He published Resident Alien at the ripe age of 90, and the world was taken in by Crisp's incredible wit and humor.

Fountain does a wonderful job of transforming Crisp's work into a punchy, sparkling monologue, tempered with the perfect amount of Crisp's gentle advice. Set in Crisp's filthy Lower East Side apartment (Crisp does not believe in cleaning because "after the first four years, the dirt doesn't get any worse"), Fountain presents Crisp as he was in the early 90s _ a relatively secluded old writer who was still much sought-after for his advice on how to be happy.

The idea of watching an elderly man deliver a monologue amidst the unchanging backdrop of a dirty apartment might seem boring to some, but Crisp's incredibly unique character is so intriguing that you want to listen to the old guy rattle off sentiment after sentiment. Fountain presents the audience with a most rare stream-of-consciousness, made all the more surprising by the fact that it was cooked up in the mind of a 90-year-old man.

Throughout the course of the play Crisp relates many stories to the audience, often reflecting on his younger days back in England, and each one ending with a lesson, of sorts. Crisp muses on politics, TV, celebrities and love as he endows the audience with his wisdom in a humorous _ albeit roundabout _ way.

Crisp is completely candid and uncensored; very sane and brutally honest. At one point early in the play, he explains to us that Princess Diana was a "piece of trash" who "got what she deserved." Though this might anger some, Crisp lets us know that he does not say things to be liked _ he says them because he believes them. His observations on life in New York are at times similar to those of a bright-eyed child, and they're so full of humor and charm that one can hardly believe that the man saying them is supposed to be 90. The mixture of memories of the past and reflections on the present are flavored by the wit of a man who has undoubtedly experienced a lot, and can talk about it all without reservation. I couldn't help but crack up each time he answered the phone, completely changing his voice to that of a nasal old man and beginning with an uncustomary, "Oh yee-ees?"

Yet there are also very honest, poignant moments scattered throughout the monologue. After relating a story of the time in his life when he felt most in love, Crisp assures the audience that "your love is of value simply because you give it."

Bette Bourne's portrayal of Quentin Crisp is simply marvelous. From the moment he appears on stage, he connected instantly with the audience. One felt that he was speaking to each person individually, and one felt truly enlightened when it was over.

Bourne's vocal and physical characterizations were nearly flawless. After seeing a picture of Crisp on one of his book-covers, I was convinced that Bourne had not appeared in the show, but that Crisp's own corpse had risen from the dead to play himself _ the resemblance was that incredible. Bourne delivers every joke with Crisp's infamous sharpness, and has the audience feeling with him as analyzes the course of his life. The only inconsistency lay in the fact that Bourne often moved about his left hand freely, which he reported to us as being "paralyzed" in the play's opening. Otherwise, he captured Crisp's spirit magnificently.

Resident Alien is one of the most unique works out there today, and truly does justice to the life of Mr. Crisp. This continuously-running social commentary is simply hilarious, full of hysterical moments, yet still at times serious and moving. If you can see past some of the unconventional details, Resident Alien is not merely a play, but a very enriching experience.