Schildcrout’s discussion on the inclusion of, “the new sexualities” in theater and the concern for both “positive” and “negative” portrayals of homosexuals. Schildcrout underscores the lengths that some authors, like Tennessee Williams, went to include homosexual situations without explicitly outing them, highlighting the overt repression of homosexuals in the theater. In discussing these issues, Schildcrout points out how the portrayal of homosexuals was once only tolerated so long as “they” stayed within the socially acceptable bounds of either being used as a form of amusement, or were used to characterize moral degeneracy. This helps to highlight how early depictions were capable of perpetuating internalized homophobia. This piece will
