At Lyric Stage, a gender-reveal party gets political

In “The Great Reveal,” a gender-reveal party and its cake become a political statement that sharpens the lines of friendship. The world premiere of the David Valdes play at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston runs through April 27.

At the play’s start, Lexi, a conservative, married mom-to-be, is stressed out.

It’s 2020, and she’s been planning a gender reveal party for her and her husband Christopher’s soon-to-come bundle of joy, despite social distancing and masking rules. As Lexi and Christopher set up the pink and blue balloons, the cupcake stand, and party streamers, phone calls come in, alerting her that some invitees won’t be able to make it. And she’s still waiting for the cake.

But this party, at least for some, means more than just a day of sweet treats. Lexi’s kindhearted, anxiety-prone brother Linus and his partner Dosia, who is trans, can’t get behind a binary, gender reveal party. Linus is willing to let his sister Lexi have her day and not poke the bear, so to speak. Dosia, who offered to bake the cake, is not having it and finds her own not-so-subtle way to speak her mind.

In the play by Valdes — who also wrote “Downtown Crossing” centering immigrant stories — political leanings, alliances and identity collide in this well-written, thoughtful narrative. Under the smart direction of Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and Charlotte Snow, it shows us how our lack of self-awareness can impact others. But more than that, it demonstrates how we can return from the edge of anger toward reconciliation. We just have to choose to try.

The small but stellar cast does mighty work with this story that might not be as visceral with less sage actors. The narrative that flashes back and forth between past and present to show how the bonds between this group formed. The talented actors — Arthur Gomez (Christopher), who recently starred in “The Hombres,” Paige Clark (Lexi), Jupiter Lê (Linus) and Antonia Turilli (Dosia) — bring the story to life.

Clark is perfect as the wonderfully self-absorbed Lexi, who is more concerned with snapping photos for “momsta” (Instagram for moms) than she is with her friend’s discomfort. And, Turilli is excellent as the more-even keeled Dosia, who works in holistic healthcare. Lexi and Dosia are the alphas of the action, jabbing at each other, seeing who will win. But it’s hard to feel victorious after wounding someone.

Gomez shines as a loving but seemingly sidelined Christopher, who just aims to please, and Lê’s big-hearted Linus would just like peace.

A gender-reveal party, on its face, can seem innocuous. But the timeframe in which the play is set, and the invited guests, add a little heat. Lexi doesn’t get what the big deal is and doesn’t understand why everything is “an act of violence” toward Dosia. She feels as though Dosia walks around triggered by everything.

But “parties like this shape a world that makes our lives harder,” Dosia explains. Later, she says  their celebration is “like doubling down on the idea that you have to be one thing or another, and it’s all confetti cannons if you are and hate legislation if you aren’t.”

The rise of gender-reveal parties, Dosia notes, coincides with the rise of homophobia and transphobia.

The crux of the argument is, as noted in an article on the Centre for Sexuality, AIDS and Gender website, that these parties are “replete with gender stereotypes, creating a spectacle of gender performance where expectant couples (most commonly middle-upper class and heterosexually-identified) take center stage in reaction videos.”

But that might not land, at least not right away, for someone like Lexi. And the play’s power is really about getting us to consider other perspectives.

Throughout the show, when things get tough, Dosia recites a powerful mantra about love and how it isn’t always soft. And it’s true.

There is no love without hurt in the mix, unfortunately, and Lexi and Dosia must figure out if their friendship is worth the wounds inflicted.

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston’s production of “The Great Reveal” runs through April 27.