"Indeed, an ancient queen who
has been everywhere and known everyone once told me that gay
was invented in a theatre, in 1956.
... Nöel Coward was an abundance
of suave, not a sexuality. No, the
queen tells, gay came about at the
City Center revival of A Streetcar
Named Desire in which Tallulah Bankhead played Blanche DuBois. Everyone who attended that
production was instantly struck gay,
the old queen says, including the usherettes, the candy sellers, the
stage crew, and - on Tallulah's good nights - even those who were
passing outside the theatre."

Ethan Mordden		 box label
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