The International Stud by Harvey Fierstein was first written in 1977 and performed in 1978 at La MaMa ETC. It is the first part of Torch Song Trilogy, which portrays different stages in Arnold's, the main character's life - particularly in relationship to his love interest and friend, Ed.  Along with writing the play, Fierstein also played Arnold. In 1981, the whole trilogy was staged together for the first time, eventually ending up on Broadway in 1982 where it ran for over 1000 performances and earned two Tony and Drama Desk awards. The play launched Fierstein's career as a successful actor and playwright and is considered a milestone in gay theatre history. 

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Despite the play's ultimate success, the initial reaction was lukewarm at best. In fact, the executive director of La MaMa initially refused to stage The International Stud because of the reputation of the dirty backroom bar after which the play was named.  Theatres refused to produce the show because of its explicitly gay themes. Even after the trilogy secured an Off-Broadway run in 1981, it was referred to as "Harvey's Folly." People expected the play to be a total failure. However, after Mel Gussow, the New York Times theatre critic, gave the show a glowing review, the trilogy took off. 

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Today, Torch Song Trilogy is widely recognized as a milestone in gay theatre. Unlike previous famous gay plays, like The Boys in the Band, Torch Song Trilogy portrayed gay men as complex, even happy. They could be openly gay, find acceptance in their community, and, most importantly, accept themselves. Though some have argued that the trilogy de-radicalizes queerness by focusing on traditional values like monogamy and the family, others have noted that Torch Song Trilogy laid the groundwork for later popular depictions of the gay community such as Will and Grace. Moreover, humanizing gay men was vital in preparing audiences for shows that called for sympathy with gay men during the AIDS crisis like Angels in America and Falsettos. 

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Since its premiere, Torch Song Trilogy has run on the West End in 1985 and been adapted into a 1988 movie. More recently, a revised version of the trilogy - titled simply Torch Song - ran on Broadway in 2018 and toured nationally in 2019. Now in 2021, we are excited to build on this play's nuanced legacy with a staging of our own. 

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