Free online recording of Lips Together, Teeth Apart by Terrence McNally

•  Jill Weinlein - Chief Los Angeles Theatre Critic

As a tribute to playwright Terrence McNally, who died on March 24, 2020, L.A. Theatre Works will offer free streaming access of the recording of Lips Together, Teeth Apart from now through the end of April.

L.A. Theatre Works recorded Lips Together, Teeth Apart before a live audience at UCLA’s James Bridges Theater in December, 2012. Directed by Bart DeLorenzo, it stars two-time Emmy Award winner Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock from the Sun, Mom) as Chloe; Steven Weber (13 Reasons Why, Indebted) as John; Missy Yager (Mad Men, HBO’s The Newsroom) as Sally; and Ovation Award-winning actor Hugo Armstrong (Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper Forum) as Sam. 

“It was with great sadness that we learned of Terrence McNally’s passing,” says LATW producing director Susan Loewenberg. “It’s an honor to be able to acknowledge his legacy, even in this small way. In addition to streaming the play, we’ll be linking to other sites that are featuring articles and interviews.”

In Lips Together, Teeth Apart, McNally walks a fine line between laugh-out-loud comedy and truth-telling drama, masterfully bringing to life ghosts of the past as he lays bare secrets of the heart. It’s set in a Fire Island beach house, where a brother and sister have gotten together, along with their spouses, to celebrate the Fourth of July. With food, cocktails, fireworks and stinging barbs, the four fortify themselves against their individual anxieties — and their gay neighbors partying in the houses on either side.

The New York Times called Lips Together, Teeth Apart, “a work with real teeth and equally penetrating compassion.” 

To listen to the L.A. Theatre Works recording of Lips Together, Teeth Apart by Terrence McNally, go to latw.org/remembering-terrence-mcnally.