AS THE BEAVER takes as its premise that Ward and June Cleaver's youngest son, The Beaver, is gay. Joel Drake Johnson then spins this seemingly slight premise into a smart and funny and ultimately enriching exploration of American society and family. "Tell people the initial concept of Chicagoan Joel Johnson's new play AS THE BEAVER - Ward and June Cleaver discover that their younger son is gay - and they'll probably roll their eyes and ask, 'What's next?' But tell people that Johnson doesn't settle for a late-night skit, that he develops a fully realized play that is at once hilarious,...

An unexpected death throws Fay and her daughter, Rachel, together for the first time in years. When a friendly police officer attempts to ease their suffering, their funny, frustrating relationship takes on a new life. Joel Drake Johnson's hilarious and harrowing play examines how the relationship between parent and child constantly changes, yet remains the same. ..". This is a richly written play, with its complexities and deceptive depths cleverly hidden by anecdotal small talk. Many authors use this approach and get lost in it. Their plays become stop-and-go affairs, but not Johnson's. No...

Most of this play takes place in a nursing home where a disgruntled, flamboyant, elderly mother is recovering from a bad fall. With her middle-aged, recently divorced daughter by her side, she awaits the arrival of her long-estranged gay son who is bringing his lover for a brief tour of his hometown and his damaging past. "Joel Drake Johnson's new play is a sensitively written ... portrait of a fragmented family ... Johnson balances gallows humor with acute insight and compassion. He creates characters so real you wonder what will happen to them after the final blackout - and hope that the...