Review by Joe Siegel

Writer/director Don Mays explores Providence gay nightlife in the 1990s in the drama “Same Difference.” The production opened Wilbury Theatre Group’s 2026/2027 season on September 24.

Mays takes on some serious subjects: gang violence, homophobia, and terminal illness, but has nothing new or interesting to say about them.

Ja’Quan Malik Jones plays Alley Kat, a New York gang member who pays a visit to his ex-girlfriend Brenda (Rosalyn Tavarez) after getting shot. Brenda lets him stay with her while he recovers.

Brenda’s roommate Joel (Alex LeBlanc) is a drag queen who brings his lover Todd (Carlin Fournier) into the apartment for sexual encounters.

Alley Kat subjects Joel to homophobic slurs and they get into a brawl, leaving Joel injured. Joel throws some racism at Alley Kat, referring to him as a “ghetto animal.”

Meanwhile, Brenda sings at a nightclub and brings comfort to her friend Aaron (Noah Martinez), who’s in a hospital room dying from AIDS. Jason Sall’s multi-level set allows two stories to be told at once.

The ingredients for a compelling story were there, but Mays doesn’t dig deep enough into his characters and what motivates them.

The performances are all fine. Tavarez brings a natural warmth and sensitivity to Brenda, a kind-hearted woman who makes some unwise choices.

Jones excels at showing Alley Kat’s hard edge and his need to even the score with the men who killed his friends.

Henry Nwaru is amusing as the flamboyant Stephon, Brenda’s friend from the clubs.

Martinez has the most thankless role as Aaron, spending his time isolated in a bed, either taking pills or reciting poetry.

It turns out Joel was once in a relationship with Aaron. We wait for the scene where Joel visits his dying ex-lover. It never happens. What a missed opportunity for some solid drama.

Joel confronts Todd one night and learns he is married. This could have been an intriguing subplot, but it’s never mentioned again.

Brenda ran away from Alley Kat to start a new life in Providence. She hates his gangster lifestyle and the deaths it has caused. So why does she attempt to restart her relationship with Alley Kat? He hasn’t changed his attitude at all.

This show depicts gay men in the most derogatory ways possible. Joel is not only racist, but he’s promiscuous too. Hasn’t he ever heard of “safe sex”? By the 1990s, everyone knew about condoms. Yet he seems blissfully ignorant.

I already mentioned the fact that Joel never visits Aaron in the hospital. But he doesn’t even bother to attend Aaron’s funeral. Even worse, the script never provides an explanation for his lack of compassion. A scene at the end which is designed to show Joel’s love for Aaron is superficial and a lame attempt to wring some tears from the audience.

The biggest frustration I had with “Same Difference” is its lack of focus. The AIDS epidemic was horrible and many wonderful lives were taken. Gang violence continues to be a major problem. As is racism and homophobia. However, the story only offers surface level discussions of these issues.

An example of the shallowness of the writing is Alley Kat and Brenda’s talk about the loss of their friends. Alley Kat is so narcissistic he only considers his feelings, his sense of grief. No mention of the families of the men who have been gunned down in the streets. No concern for their feelings at all.

The central conflict between Alley Kat and Joel is never properly developed. What motivates Alley Kat’s tremendous loathing of gay men? Why is Joel so racist? At one point, they both play their music as loud as they can, in an attempt to drown each other out. The two mismatched roommates don’t seem to learn anything from their time together. It’s all so pointless.

Rating: Two stars (out of four).

Same Difference runs through October 11. Wilbury Theatre Group. Performances at the Waterfire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence. Runtime is 1 hour 35 minutes with an intermission. For tickets, call 401-400-7100 or visit thewilburygroup.org.

Alex LeBlanc and Ja’Quan Malik Jones. Photos by Erin X.Smithers.

LeBlanc and Carlin Fournier