Condensed but Not Diminished: The Journey from Torch Song Trilogy to Torch Song

Harvey Fierstein’s original iteration of Torch Song was actually three separate one act plays that premiered Off-Off-Broadway in consecutive years starting in 1977. The first was entitled The International Stud, which followed Arnold Beckhoff, a Jewish drag queen living in New York, searching for his “international stud.” He meets Ed Reiss, a bisexual teacher who struggles with what exactly he is searching for in life.

Whit Ellsworth as Arnold. Photos by Alyson O'Hara

The second play was entitled Fugue in a Nursery, which further explored the relationship between Arnold and Ed. Only this time Arnold and Ed are seeing other people. Arnold met a young boy named Alan, and Ed is engaged to Laurel. The production took place mostly in a large bed with live musicians performing a musical fugue around the unfolding action.

The third and final play was entitled Widows and Children First! and focused on Arnold navigating the sudden loss of Alan while trying to raise an adopted son, David. When his traditional mother comes to visit, Arnold hopes to connect with her over their shared new widow status.

Together, these three one acts made up what became known as Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy, which officially premiered on Broadway in 1982 and ran for 1,230 performances. This four hour play, with two intermissions, captivated audiences for years. Now, Torch Song Trilogy is remembered for being a groundbreaking work for the LGBTQ+ community with its focus on gay relationships and gay adoption.

Ethan Seiser as Ed. Photos by Alyson O'Hara

In 2017, Harvey Fierstein was tasked with bringing his four-hour trilogy to modern audiences. However, Harvey was adamant that he could not rewrite Torch Song Trilogy some 40 years later. He asserted that he was no longer the same man, so instead he set out to cut it. He took his beloved trilogy and edited it down to about two-hours, careful not to add anything, simply reshape. The three acts became two, combining The International Stud and Fugue in a Nursery into the first act of a two act show, leaving Widows and Children First! as the complete second act. The new production, simply titled Torch Song, better appealed to modern audiences' expectations of current theatrical practices.

What was lost? In the reshaping of Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey heavily edited down both The International Stud and Fugue in a Nursery. Many sequences of dialogue were cut and, in some cases, whole scenes. The characters of Laurel and Alan were reduced and the character of Lady Blues (a torch singer in the first act) was completely eliminated. Widows and Children First! received the fewest edits, now serving as the bookend to Arnold’s journey, which begins years prior. 

ISTC Torch Song cast. Photos by Alyson O'Hara

What was gained? As a result of this new reshaping, many of the ambiguous character elements actually became clearer. Arnold’s search for the ‘international stud’ and a family became his driving force, and a through-line of the entire production. The new act break also helps to clarify the time jump between act one and act two. Overall, the result is a tighter version of the originalTorch Song Trilogy that manages to heighten the emotional stakes of our story.

Iowa Stage's production ofTorch Song by Harvey Fierstein runs June 6-15, 2025 at the Stoner Theater in the Des Moines Civic Center.

Tickets can be purchased on the Des Moines Performing Arts Website (https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org ), by phone (515-246-2300), or in-person at the Des Moines Performing Arts Center Ticket Office (221 Walnut Street Des Moines, IA 50309).