Mart Crowley: American playwright best known for The Boys in the Band

Early life and career

Crowley was born in the mid-1930s and came of age during a period when homosexuality was socially stigmatized. He moved to work in theatre and New York-based circles that included actors and producers, which influenced his choice of theatrical subject matter and his style. Before achieving fame he worked in various support roles in the entertainment world, gaining exposure to professional theatre and the day-to-day realities of performance and production.

The Boys in the Band and its impact

His most famous play, The Boys in the Band, premiered off-Broadway in 1968 and quickly became a cultural touchstone. Set largely in a single apartment during a birthday party, the play examines a group of gay men, their friendships, rivalries and the ways they cope with social prejudice. It has been praised for its candid dialogue and complex, often contradictory characters, and criticized by some for reflecting the self-critical attitudes of its time. Regardless, the play opened doors for subsequent dramatists to explore LGBTQ themes more openly.

Adaptations, revivals and later work

The Boys in the Band was adapted for film and has been revived onstage multiple times. A later stage revival of the play drew renewed public attention and led to a contemporary screen adaptation that reunited many members of that revival cast. Crowley also wrote a sequel entitled The Men from the Boys and continued to write and consult on stage projects throughout his life.

Legacy and notable facts

• Known chiefly for The Boys in the Band, a landmark of gay theatre.
• His work helped normalize gay characters on stage and influenced later generations of playwrights.
• Revivals and screen adaptations extended the play’s cultural reach decades after its premiere.

Crowley died in Manhattan on March 7, 2020, at age 84; reports indicated complications after surgery were involved in his passing. He was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and died in Manhattan, and his best-known play remains a frequent point of reference in histories of American theatre and LGBTQ cultural history.