As the protagonist, Usher, wrestles with ambition, expression, shame, lust, self-loathing and parental expectations, he shares his complicated, cutting feelings about everything from homophobic Christian teachings to the white gaytriarchy to Tyler Perry. You can say the same of “A Strange Loop,” his kinda-sorta autobiographical show about a queer Black man writing a musical about a queer Black man writing a musical. It’s an answer that embraces ambivalence, complexity and discomfort - and that’s punctuated by a skewering wit.
“The other night I went to an event where they were cheering their sponsors, and it’s just very bizarre to see queer people cheering banks and oil companies and weapons manufacturers. “In a very general way I support the advocacy of pride, particularly things that are helping kids, but there definitely is a corporate feel to it that I don’t resonate with,” he continues.
