Stephen Boyhont, second from left, in a 2011 production of Red Herring.
When Stephen Boyhont performs with Mad Cow Improv he plays off others in the Elizabethtown College comedy troupe, pulling from their energy and one-liners and hoping they help fill the silence. But, when he takes the stage in Gibble Auditorium Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, the comic actor will be all alone under the spotlight with just a microphone and an expectant audience.
To fulfill credits for his degree as theatre major, Boyhont was required to pick a performance or technical project. So, taking a cue from his connection to the improv company, Boyhont grabbed the proverbial Mad Cow by the horns and opted for stand-up comedy. His show, “That’s So Gay,” for which he wrote and will perform his own material, takes the stage at 2 p.m. both days.
For senior theatre projects students can write and direct an original piece, direct an already written show or take on a technical-design project. The sandy-haired Boyhont opted for original, as did classmate Mike Wawrzynek who will challenge his senior project in May, with a performance of the original, “Tall Green Plumber: The Musical.”
It will be just a monologue. No props. No background. … It’s public speaking at its rawist. No Power Point to back you up. No handouts.”
“That’s So Gay” is stories many years in the making—practically a lifetime, its author said, smiling. “I grew up in a very conservative, rural area, (of Lancaster County, Pa.) where that lifestyle was not allowed,” he said of being gay. In elementary school, he had already realized he was “different,” and when kids—usually other boys—picked on him, he said he turned to his “super power” which was “kissing boys.” When he threatened his antagonists with that, they always retreated.
Though some of the narratives might touch on emotional situations, Boyhont said he treats each with comic relief. The purpose of choosing stand-up comedy is a means of getting the audience to think about the concepts, share the ideas with others and talk about homosexuality more openly. “I’d like to start a dialogue,” Boyhont said.
“As much as I hope people are educated, I hope they enjoy the show,” he said. “I’d like this to plant seeds for conversations. Convey the idea that there is the larger thing going on.
“My hope is to make everything relatable to everyone. My experiences are not the exception. Those who aren’t gay can relate to the stories and every gay male, my age, can likely relate to the show,” he said, referring to experiences in the queer community, his preferred term for those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, transsexual, two-spirit and asexual to name a few.
Boyhont said he was impassioned with queer rights—housing, employment, queer youth—in his junior year at Elizabethtown and is using a bit of that as a catalyst for his writing. He chose stand-up as a means of enlightening the public through his one-hour show, noting that one of his jokes compares rural gay men and urban gay men to orangutans and chimpanzees.
In high school, in conservative Lancaster County, Pa., Boyhont didn’t find himself visually, emotionally or sexually attracted to women, but because other gay students had death threats mailed to their homes, he was not openly gay. Since coming out, he’s been called a faggot and, in retaliation, he embraced it. “It’s just a name,” he noted.
It wasn’t until he came to Elizabethtown that Boyhont made peace with his preferences, coming out in his first year. “Friends are accepting of you, at E-town and abroad,” he said. When asked about immediate family, the response was more contemplative. “They love me,” he said. “They may not understand, but they love me.”
Boyhont, who is comedically inspired by “30 Rock”s Tina Fey, comic Bo Burnham and former Mad Cow comrade DJ Littell ’12, said that being himself on stage during a stand-up routine, rather than portraying a caricature of someone or working with a comedy team is a bit scary. “It will be just a monologue. No props. No background,” he said raising his eyebrows. “It’s public speaking at its rawist. No Power Point to back you up. No handouts.
“It will be different. I’m used to playing off others from Mad Cow. They are a great group of people. I feel very supported by them,” he said of his improv friends. “I will love seeing them in the audience and hearing what they have to say about the show.” But, he said, he’s asking them to not critique until March 17. “I’m going to ask them to keep it to themselves until both shows are over.”
Boyhont warned that this production is for a mature audience. “It’s everything you would expect from a late-night comedian but with the convenience of being in the early afternoon.” Audience members might be a little uncomfortable, he said, as there is quite a bit of sexual humor. Some jokes touch on gay male stereotypes that sometimes don’t really fit, “like gay men like to go shopping and can coordinate outfits. Um, not me!” he said laughing.
“That’s So Gay,” written by Stephen Boyhont, is performed at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16, in Gibble Auditorium. Cost is $4; call 717-1170 or email boxoffice@etown.edu.