Beautiful Thing at Raven Theatre

Anonymous among the thousands living in the working-class flats of southeast London, two boys struggle to carve out their own space in a constricting world. Driven away by his erratic family, Ste seeks order and purpose in sports and academics, building the idealized life he hasn't lived. Jamie, instead, turns his back on structure, preferring independence and sharp wit to scholastic honors. With the pressures of their divergent lives mounting, the boys find solace with one another. Ste's nightly refuge at Jamie's house evolves into something more, something transformative: something beautiful. After redefining gay representation nearly 30 years ago, Beautiful Thing brings the warmth of first love back to Chicago.