Play in the Gray

The idea of men in drag can easily conjure up memories of wild classic comedy gems, running the gamut from the frothy vaudeville shtick of Milton Berle to the boundary-pushing underground nihilism of Divine. But on the distaff side, there are relatively few culturally significant entertainment milestones featuring women dressed in male drag. Kaitlin Meelia's documentary focuses on the Boston-based all-female theatrical troupe All the Kings Men, which specializes in offering a “drag king” alternative to the more prevalent drag queen style of comedy. Meelia gives equal attention to each performer, with in-depth interviews focusing on personal histories and performance styles, eliciting interesting opinions on gender identity in both standup comedy and in the wider society. Unfortunately, the insights and energy evident during the individual profiles evaporate when the women come together for their shows; indeed, the onstage comedy selections presented here come across as a second-rate riff on Saturday Night Live sketches. Ultimately, the broadly vulgar and fairly predictable nature of the troupe's comedy reminds us that it doesn't matter who is wearing what clothing—if the jokes aren't funny, the whole thing won't work. An optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)