Hello!
Thank you so much for coming to the Off-Broadway premiere of Lilies, or The Revival of a Romantic Drama By Michel Marc Bouchard, with English translation by Linda Gaboriau.
I first discovered this play through the film version, which I saw as a senior in high school (20 years ago this fall!). I was immediately transfixed by the love between these two young men. The film has stuck with me all these years, and it is a dream fulfilled to be directing what will be it's Off-Broadway premiere.
Lilies deals with issues of religious trauma, the dangers of emotional repression, and the consequences of supressing one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It's also a period peice, which adds a level of "gay history" and historical context to the picture.
As both an openly gay man and a Christian, I am all too familiar with what religious trauma can look like. It can take many forms. It's consequences can wreak havoc on LGBTQIA+ individuals for decades. For centuries we have been told that there is only one form of love and romantic relationship that is pure in the eyes of God. This play seeks to change that narrative.
Above all this is a love story. It is about the ability of love to conquer the unconquerbable. It is about how Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
This love is pure, and cannot be made perverse, no matter what form it may take. Thank you very much for coming, and I hope this play stays with you as long as it has stayed with me.
Andrew Benvenuti
Artistic Director
