Terrence McNally's MOTHERS and SONS-An Aids Memorial

Terrence McNally is a 4 time Tony Award winning playwright & recipient of the Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.  In 1996, McNally was was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.  His new play, MOTHERS and SONS, is set in the present, here on the UWS inNYC.  It focuses on a married gay couple, Cal (Frederick Weller) & Will (Bobby Steggert) who have a 7 yr. old son.  Catherine (Tyne Daly) was Andre's mom, Cal's previous lover who died of AIDS.   Catherine comes to pay a visit to Cal whom she hasn't seen since his memorial service 20 years prior.  Catherine tells Cal 'when their friend sang that beautiful aria of Mozart, that was a perfect moment." The tranquility lasts but a moment.  Catherine turns viciously against Cal, both for their homosexual relationship as well as his disloyalty for having moved on to another relationship.  Catherine brings Cal Andre's diary.  Cal in turn brings forth a box of photos & memorabilia of Andre's.  The multi-Tony & Emmy winner actress, Daly, who performed last year in Mcnally's revival of MASTER CLASS, fails to elicit sympathy or credibility in her role.  Perhaps, this is a testament to changing attitudes as well as legislation that have changed since the 1980's.  It is Cal, (Weller) B'wy veteran & multi-Drama Desk noms., who carries the gravitas & relevance of the play.   A generation of gay men died from AIDS.  They bore the scorge & stigma of AIDS.  This a "bridge" or a transitional play that serves as a dignified memorial.  Cal effigy to these men was his questioning "the diminished capacity of care given to gay men at the end of the 20th C has become a footnote in history with the raw edges of pain dulled."  McNally's insightful timepiece play speaks of "bridges of transitions."  MOTHERS and SONS is a monument to AIDS' casualties and asks "maybe those who died of AIDS changed us, or maybe changed us not at all." The play ends with Mozarts' aria and an illuminated Catherine.  In a less than perfect world, there is hope that people can change.