‘¡Gaytino!’: His Two True Selves - Dan Guerrero

The history of showbiz and the showbiz of history figure prominently in “¡Gaytino!,” the autobiographical solo piece Dan Guerrero performed at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater on Tuesday and Wednesday. But those epochal themes did not seem to be the catalysts for the enthusiasm (cries of recognition, a standing ovation) that greeted his turn on opening night. Rather, the sizable audience seemed to be responding to Guerrero’s utter unguardedness as he evoked his life as a gay Hispanic with a passion for the arts.

Dressed in white shirt and brown pants, Guerrero — who occasionally tossed off a few low-key Broadway or disco dance steps — spoke confidingly, as if addressing a roomful of friends. Projections of old photos (childhood snapshots, theater facades) and video footage (César Chávez’s funeral) on a screen behind him added visual texture to his tale. “*

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