Author: Albus Wang (ins: @albusw)
Published on: July, 27th, 2023
Bottom line: Be part of the herstory and enjoy this wonderfully produced revival of queer theatre classic about love and friendship.
After more than forty years since the play was first produced in Los Angeles, Fountain Theatre brought back Last Summer at Bluefish Cove. Ran for two years from 1981 to 1983 with sold-out performances, the play was well loved by the LA audience. We were honored to be part of queer herstory enjoying the story of love and friendship on a sunny summer afternoon.
With an overwhelmingly talented cast, the 2023 production successfully brought us back to the time when being gay was still taboo and clandestinely. Lesbians were able to pursue romance and community in a safe heaven like Bluefish Cove. The irony is alarming however. Compared to the political climate of 1980 when the play first came out, women and LGBTQ community are facing even more challenges nowadays.
First introduced in 1980, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove presented homosexuality as everyday life and lesbian characters as whole and well-rounded. Playwright Jane Chambers left behind a legacy by defining queer theatre in the U.S. when gay rights were booming across the country. In the 1970s, queer community gained tremendous visibility in TV and film. In December of 1973, homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of psychiatric disorders. Second wave feminism movement in the 60s and 70s liberated women from family, work, and sexuality. Women were encouraged to escape confinement as housewives. With the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion during the first trimester was allowed in all the states, however the government wasn’t obligated to fund medically necessary abortions. Amidst women’s rights movement, civil rights movement, and gay rights movement, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove encapsulated the paradigm shift seen in the U.S.
Just last year, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and currently most abortions are now banned in 14 states. This year 49 states have proposed 560 anti-trans bills and we are still five months away from 2024. Affirmative action was ruled unconstitutional by SCOTUS and certain businesses are allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people with case 303 Creative v. Elenis. With more visibility in the media, rights of marginalized communities are actually being diminished more than ever. Last Summer at Bluefish Cove reminds us that progress and pushback often coincide with each other. Love and friendship are always the answers to the opposition and hostility our community face daily. Loving, caring for, and lifting each other will eventually elevate us all.
Presented outdoors, the play gives out an immersive-adjacent experience. Characters are easily lovable and relatable. We were definitely feeling the highs and lows alongside Lil, Eva, and their friends. The wonderfully charming assemble aside, costume and set design could be more era-appropriate. A little more background on the social and political environment can be helpful for the audience to gain more context.
Last Summer at Bluefish Cove runs until August 27, 2023 at the Fountain Theatre (5060 Fountain Avenue Los Angeles, CA, 90029). You can purchase tickets at https://www.fountaintheatre.com/events/bluefish-cove
Reference:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/a-glimpse-into-1970s-gay-activism/284077/
https://www.them.us/story/scotus-gay-wedding-website-colorado-ruling