‘When Boys Exhale:’ Reimagining of Classic Film Centers Black Gay Men In Atlanta Stage Debut
For many Black gay men, there are certain films in the Black theatrical cannon that continue to resonate decades after their release—” Waiting To Exhale,” the 1995 blockbuster based on the best-selling novel by author Terry McMillan and directed by Forest Whitaker, is one of those films. The impact of the original goes far beyond the popular gif of Bernadine (Angela Bassett) flicking a cigarette as she walks away from her husband’s torched luxury car. Now, writer and director Anthony Green (Cagedbirds Productions) is taking the commercial and cultural success of the film and adapting it for the stage in “When Boys Exhale,” an original reimagining centering the experiences of Black gay men inspired by the classic film.
After a sold-out premiere run in 2019 at Anacostia Arts Center in Washington, D.C, Green, in partnership with Tre Productions, is bringing “Exhale” to the Atlanta area on April 22. It’s an exciting time for the D.C.-based artist and his cast, who says he never imagined his play would mount a full production, only to have the pandemic completely halt all plans for the show’s immediate future.
“After we had those sold-out shows, we were going to do some more in DC because the demand was high, but then COVID hit and we had to cancel that, and I had to put When Boys Exhale on the shelf. I wasn't going to even touch it again,” Green says.
Upon learning the play’s origin, it’s plausible that Green’s “Exhale” would have been placed on the shelf following its initial success and not given a second thought by the man who penned the script.
“When I originally wrote this, it wasn't even going to be produced for the stage. It was therapeutic,” Green says. “A friend of mine passed away from HIV- [related complications] and in one of our last conversations, I promised to write the story of his life, and his favorite movie was Waiting To Exhale. So this is his story but told with quotes from the movie and situations that are reminiscent of the film and music from the movie. It's an original story. It’s his story. It's our story,” Green adds.
During an era where Black gay characters in film and television were reduced to one-dimensional stereotypes, if represented at all, the original film included two gay characters, Joseph, the sassy, limp-wristed hairdresser played by straight actor Lamont Johnson, and David, the once down-low, then bisexual, then openly gay ex-husband of Gloria (Loretta Devine), played by Giancarlo Esposito, also a straight actor. Green says it was important for him to evolve the gay characters as he was writing the script for his “Exhale.”
“I wanted to elevate that sissy stereotype, that hairdresser, that girl's best friend that was always [quick] with a sassy read,” Green says. “I wanted to add some depth and autonomy to that character. I wanted to show that character’s impact on the Black community as a whole.”
Green has written Khalil, a similar character to the stereotypical DL character brought to life on screen by Esposito. Khalil, played by actor Ephraim Nehemiah, is in a romantic relationship with Jonathan, played by actor Moses Princien. Green tells The Reckoning that his new character is no longer closeted and regressive in the way his 1995 predecessor was.
“I think there’s this story in terms of how we figure out and define things for ourselves, but also in relationships, how these characters are able to bring out different sides and change over time through these relationships,” says Nehemiah.
For Princien, whose story arc as Jonathan is at the core of the stage narrative of “Exhale,” the show examines many of the lingering questions Black queer men grapple with in real life.
“[The characters] are trying to figure out what they want in life and who they are as well,” Princien says. “I feel like that is such a big thing for queer Black people—just figuring out who we are and what we want. And then also, what can we do to improve our situation, especially in a world that often does not allow us to do that. And so there's a lot to talk about and unpack.”
“These two characters are not drawn to each other because ‘oh, I'm sexy, you're sexy, let's be sexy together,’” Green says. “They have a real spiritual soul tie. We're looking at finding your soulmate and what that work really looks like. But once you find that person, the struggles really start, right? You don't [necessarily] have a happy ending. There's still a lot of work to do and a lot of traumas to still unpack.”
A Love Story About Friendship
While it may be easy to reduce the relationship drama the characters find themselves in as a mere plot device, Green says the real story is the platonic friendships formed by the Black gay men at the heart of his story.
“The love story isn't the romantic storyline between these two [Jonathan & Khalil], the real love story is the friendship,” he says. “It is a love story about friendship, even in the depiction of it, because oftentimes as gay men, we kind of define ourselves by our partner or our relationship status. And this story is specifically challenging that.”
For Princien, who identifies as non-binary, the opportunity to tell this particular story in a cast of Black queer artists is both rare and affirming.
"[It’s so] important to be able to see ourselves on stage and to be able to work with artists like ourselves because so often you don't get that space. You don't get that freedom. You don't get that affirmation in who you are,” Princien says.
According to Green, the majority of the original cast from the D.C. production has returned for the upcoming Atlanta-area run. He also tells The Reckoning that it was important to him that Black queer artists were represented onstage and behind the scenes.
“Most everyone is Black and queer in some way,” Green says. “We have to be the ones to invest in our stories. And there's also something about us working with us. The different flavors and colors of being Black and queer coming together and building something that is genuinely us.”
Green says he hopes the actors and Atlanta audiences will have a communal experience.
“It’s not just about the play we’re seeing. It’s about celebrating the lives and the stories we’re telling,” he said.
After the Atlanta run, Green says he hopes his play will become a part of Black Gay Pride programming across the country. He also wouldn’t be disappointed if his “Exhale” caught the attention of McMillan, who as of now, has yet to see his reimagining.
Green has a message for Atlanta audiences and superfans of the original who may be holding their breath about his new stage iteration of the beloved film.
“If you've never seen the film, it stands on its own,” Green says. “But if you have, you’ll love it even better.”
Now, grab your tickets, and exhale.