Daddy’s Boy

The boxing ring becomes a battleground for issues of sexuality, family and identity.

Avila begins in the boxing ring, with 17 year old national wrestling champion Milo facing off against his childhood best friend, J.T. This match is not just a physical battle but a battle of values as well, since Milo identifies as queer and J.T. represents the homophobia of Milo’s Texas hometown that his two fathers fled for more liberal Manhattan.

Daddy’s Boy is about celebrating who you are, but also about the inevitable challenges that come with doing this. While it is often easier to give in to social pressures to fit in, Milo refuses to repress who he is and this, in turn, empowers other characters to think about their own identities. The play is very much in touch with present issues facing the LGBTQ community and the impact of the media on their movement, asking, “how much progress has actually been made?”