A SUMMER OF MEMORY AND LOSS

A moving revival that transforms urgency
into reflection without losing its emotional core

Tim Frangos, J.Stephen Brantley

The lights went down at Dezart Performs’ gorgeous new home on Saturday, and I’ll be honest—my heart was in my throat before a single line was spoken. Having been in the audience for the Broadway premiere of Love! Valour! Compassion! over thirty years ago, I wasn’t just watching a play; I was stepping into a time machine. Back then, Terrence McNally’s story was an urgent, raw bulletin from the front lines of the AIDS crisis. Today, it has transitioned into a lush, incredibly poignant period piece, capturing the lives of eight gay men over three holiday weekends at a lakeside retreat in the mid-’90s as they struggle with love, friendship, relationships, and the height of AIDS’ brutal reality. Seeing it now, through the lens of three decades of history, adds a layer of nostalgia and “looking back” that makes the urgency feel brand new again.

Oscar E. Fabela, Tim Frangos, J. Stephen Brantley, Matt McConkey, Michael Shaw, Jamie Pierce

Oscar E. Fabela

Director Philip Wm. McKinley guides this revival with a beautiful, fluid rhythm that makes the nearly three-hour runtime feel like a summer you’ve actually lived through rather than just watched. He gets incredible work out of this ensemble. J. Stephen Brantley is the soul of the production as Gregory, playing the aging choreographer with a quiet, physical dignity that’s deeply moving. Jamie Pierce pulls off a massive feat in the dual roles of the Jeckyll twins, making John and James feel like two entirely distinct souls. Oscar Fabela is a total riot as the musical-theater-obsessed Buzz, though he never loses the vulnerability underneath the wit. Tim Frangos and Chris Carranza bring a great, youthful friction to the group as Bobby and Ramon, while Matt McConkey and Michael Shaw ground everything as Arthur and Perry—the “old married couple” who serve as the group’s emotional center.

Jamie Pierce, Matt McConkey, Chris Carranza, Michael Shaw, Oscar E. Fabela

The production looks as good as it feels, thanks to Rick Bluhm’s inventive set design. He manages to make the stage feel like the wide-open, wooded grounds of a Dutchess County estate while keeping things intimate enough for the play’s quietest, most confessional moments. Shifting seasons and moods come alive through Chase Potter’s evocative lighting.

Jamie Pierce, Chris Carranza

For those who remember the first time this play roared for survival, this production is a stunning tribute. It’s a vividly rendered memory of the kind of valour you only find in true friendship.

Jamie Pierce. Oscar E. Fabela

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photos by David A. Lee

Love! Valour! Compassion!
Dezart Performs at the New Dezart Playhouse
605 South Riverside Drive, Palm Springs
Thu & Fri at 7; Sat at 2 & 7; Sun at 2
165 minutes with two intermissions
ends on April 19, 2026
for tickets ($69–$78), visit dezartperforms.org or call 760.322.0179

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