Cruising in the Name of Love

Set in the vibrant and tumultuous 1980s, Cruising in the Name of Love: A Dramatic Monologue from the 1980s follows Donny, a young, bold Black gay man, as he navigates love, desire, and identity. Amidst the bustling crowd and the pulsating beat of Addicted to Love, and under the movie posters of Top Gun, Donny reflects on his passionate love affair with his past lovers and his ongoing journey of self-discovery. Against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis, this poignant and powerful play captures the essence of resilience and the pursuit of one’s true self. Excerpt: DONNYOoh baby, that is one hot piece of trade. Yes indeed, honey. That one’s a man’s man with his square face. I like a square face on a man. Means he’s solid--all man. Now look at the buns on Mr. Smooth Chocolate there. Chile, if I get my hands on them, I’d be his little Miss Sunbeam. Uh oh, here comes a chest of a chest. Even his muscles got muscles. I’d give two lifetimes to be that t-shirt he’s wearing. Ohh now look at that. Hey you! Excuse me. Did you drop a mayonnaise jar down your crotch before you zipped up your jeans? I’d better shut myself up. I’m running all the men away actin’ like a slut. I love men too much to chase them away. I love ’em so much they chase me away. 'You drowning me! You drowning me,' a guy screamed at me. Shoot all I was doin’ was calling his ass fifty-four times a day. Yes, I love my men.. . . Get outta here! Why you act so surprised? Just because I got on a suit don’t mean I’m some stuffed up boardroom girl. I work at Penny’s here in the mall--in cookery. I’m tryin’ to get into men’s underwear--for real. That’s where I want to do my cooking. So don’t let this suit fool you, honey. I love men. Ain’t nothin’ no woman can do for me, except have my baby.