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In 'Significant Other,' Playwright Joshua Harmon Places The 'Gay Best Friend' In The Spotlight

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Greg Maraio plays the the main character, Jordan, in the SpeakEasy Stage Company's staging of Joshua Harmon's "Significant Other." Kris Sidberry plays Vanessa and Sarah Elizabeth Bedrard plays Kiki. (Courtesy SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Greg Maraio plays the the main character, Jordan, in the SpeakEasy Stage Company's staging of Joshua Harmon's "Significant Other." Kris Sidberry plays Vanessa and Sarah Elizabeth Bedrard plays Kiki. (Courtesy SpeakEasy Stage Company)

If you've seen any romantic comedy that ends with a wedding in the past 20 years, you may have noticed a familiar archetype.

The gay best friend sidekick — with fabulous taste and zesty snark, but not much of a romantic life, or any kind of life beyond the stifling confines of the main couple's story lines.

Playwright Joshua Harmon sees that typical character as something of a court jester: reductive and one-dimensional. So, in his new play, Harmon makes the gay best friend the center of story.

The SpeakEasy Stage Company is staging "Significant Other" until Oct. 8.

Guest

Joshua Harmon, playwright. His most recent play is "Significant Other." He also wrote "Bad Jews."

This segment aired on September 26, 2016.

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