Tricks of the Trade

How much of a gay man’s identity is tied up in his sexual activity? That’s one of the questions asked in Tricks of the Trade – a harsh new drama about four young gay men, ages 17-22, during one very, very long night at a West Village mix and meet bar. This world premiere production is written and directed by John Capo.

As the evening begins, 22 year-old Joey is aglow with having found the person he believes he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. A situation which he thinks means the end of numerous one-night stands and various sexual shenanigans with strangers. (As he says of his new love, “Five weeks [together] is like forever.”) However, instead of sharing his joy, the reactions of Joey’s bar-hopping friends range from skepticism to disbelief to, in the case of Tommy, (with whom Joey has a history), bitterness and anger. Deciding to put this so-called true love to the test, Tommy bets that Joey can’t stay at the bar until closing time without picking up a stranger for a quickie.