In its various formats -- novel, play, film, musical -- Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman evokes powerful emotions as two male cellmates jailed in a totalitarian country (Argentina) lay bare the politics of seduction. Who could be more different than Molina (Michael Drury), a flamboyant homosexual window dresser charged with "gross indecency," and Valentin (Andrew Pyle), a dedicated humorless Marxist whose zeal for social revolution excludes pleasure from his life? Yet as they share life stories in their cramped space and discover the depths of their humanity, the twain does meet in surprising, believable and affecting ways.
Molina's elaborate movie plots about panther women and other exotic cinema queens keep the ailing Valentin asking for more. "I'd forgotten this dump while you were telling me the movie," he confides. Valentin's passion for social justice in turn opens Molina's eyes to a reality he had brushed aside. Each seduces the other logically and naturally. Valentin gives himself to Molina when word comes that Molina is to be released, and both find that they felt "out of danger" through sex. On the outside Molina voluntarily carries out a dangerous political assignment for Valentin.
After a slow-moving first act, Pyle and Drury strike sparks as their bonding intensifies and their mutual seduction takes hold. Pyle convincingly conveys the agony of his weakened state, and his delivery reflects the sensitivity behind his macho appearance. Drury's portrayal is both sympathetic and humorous; the heartache is always lurking behind every funny joke or gesture.
