James Arthur M. and Robert Rushin Photo by Lois Tema

Once Curtis (Robert Rushin) is given the lay of the land by the house's owner, brassy, opinionated senior gay Bernie (Tom Reardon), and compliments him on the house's "Jonathan Adler aesthetic" (scenic design by Matt Owens), the other guests begin to make their appearance.

First on the scene is Castor (Louel Señores), the loquacious long-time bestie of Curtis and the source of many of the play's snarkiest, bitchiest quips (though almost every character tosses their share of barbs). When Castor complains how hard it is to find love in the San Fernando Valley, he's reminded that even there, he's bound to get some right swipes on a dating app. "Tinder in the valley," Castor replies. "Sounds like a romance novel." As Curtis and Castor await the arrival of the rest of the group, Curtis gets the blender working for a batch of margaritas, only the first of many adult beverages which will be consumed over the course of the play's two-hour running time (with intermission).

Next to arrive is Leo (James Arthur M.), the resident intellectual and queer theorist who still lives in New York. While waiting for their long-coupled friends Jeff (Mara Guevara) and Todd to make the scene, Leo, Castor and Curtis spend the day imbibing and dishing–about each other, about which of Britney Spears' albums is the best, and the transitions each is making as middle age creeps up on them all. (The characters are all in their late 30s.) Castor remarks that "people confuse me for a lesbian all the time." When Curtis–who is broad of shoulder and flat of abdomen–feels his exercise regimen will keep him looking younger than his 37 years, Leo reminds him that "no treadmill outruns gravity, bitch."

Note that last word: bitch. Was it truly necessary? The line would be just as funny without it, yet it's indicative of the cutting nature of the dialogue, which sometimes adds to the humor of the show, yet simultaneously undercuts the sense of family these men have supposedly created for themselves. Though Lee has crafted some clever lines, his depiction of gay men seems to run the gamut from A to B, staying strictly within the lines of stereotypes. They dress up as the Spice Girls (to make a video for Curtis's side hustle as an influencer/content creator), adopt clichéd gay speech patterns, and seem to let their sexual urges overwhelm their sense of the behaviors that define friendship.

Playwright Lee hasn't provided us with much of a story here–there's nothing specifically at stake for these characters, other than to have a somewhat debauched weekend in the desert. That they bicker with each other relates only to their history and shared experiences, as we're given nothing to draw us along other than what comes up in each moment. Lee and director Ben Villegas Randle also don't give us much indication of the passing of time, so we are left to figure out for ourselves what day or hour it is, which would help us to understand why Omar (Samuel del Rosario) suddenly appears on the scene. (We will learn Castor picked him up during a nighttime outing to Quadz, one of Palm Springs' many gay bars. There's also a reference to another real-life PS locale, the Chinese restaurant called, somewhat fittingly, Wang's in the Desert.)

Despite the snappy dialogue and generally solid performances from the cast, To My Girls relies far too heavily on outdated clichés for me to recommend it to anyone other than a gay audience able to overlook its faults and simply revel in the mis-gendering, bitchiness, and occasional trenchant insight it offers. As Bernie says near the end of the play, "You don't have to stay friends with people once they become someone you don't like."

To My Girls plays through June 8, 2025, at New Conservatory Theatre Center, Decker Theatre, 25 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA. Performances are Wednesdays-Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are $25-$72.50. For tickets and information, please visit NCTCSF.org or call 415-861-8972.