Lazing on a Rainy Afternoon
Perry, the conservative lawyer, is the character in the play who least demonstrates a seemingly stereotypical “gayness.” Meaning, he does not join the others in wearing tutus, mocks the love of Broadway musicals, and doesn’t hang around the house in various states of nudity. With this in mind, his philosophically stated metaphor for being bored on a rainy day rings true to his character:
“There is nothing like the steady drumming of a summer rain on wooden shingles to turn even this pedantic mind into a devil’s workshop. I've got an idea."
Life and Pipes: The Musical!
Buzz, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of Perry. Not only does Buzz have little compunction about wearing just an apron on the front, but his love of Broadway musicals is almost over the top even for the other guys. In his favor, however, he commits fully to that love, transforming it into a philosophical perspective:
“…if this were a musical, there would be plenty of hot water, and it would have happy ending. Life and Gregory’s plumbing should be more like a musical: Today’s Deep Thought from Buzz Hauser.”
Seriously, Buzz Loves Musicals
Musicals really are Buzz’s life. His passion moves well beyond stereotypical “gayness” to a much higher level of appreciation almost approaching scholarly. Perhaps, indeed, verging well into the academic as someone with just a mere enjoyment of the entertainment form is not likely to hit all three of the disparate notes reached by Buzz in whittling down his entire being into a musical metaphor:
“I’m just a Gershwin with a Romberg rising in the house of Kern.”
Ramon’s Story
Ramon has been telling a story about sex on the island of Mykonos. The details are a little sketchy and the truth probably a little dodgy. Or perhaps insane. Creative, though; you’ve got to give Ramon points for creativity: the lover in question was supposedly the guy in one of the famous Calvin Klein racy advertisements of the day:
“The thought of Ramon and his possible encounter with the Obsession Man hung over the house like a shroud.”
The Sun of God
Arthur comes up with a very strange metaphor for how he feels lying on a raft beneath the warm rays of the sun. Very strange, indeed:
“Sun like this makes you want to never move again. I feel nailed to this raft. Crucified on it.”
