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# 100 Heroes: Mart Crowley
- URL: https://www.gtv.blue/mart-crowley/
- Published: 2026-08-20T23:01:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-21T06:43:52.000Z
- Description: The gay man who created an iconic moment of queer theatre.
- Author: Gareth Johnson
- Tags: 100 Heroes

Mart Crowley was an American playwright who was best known for his play The Boys in the Band.

### Early life

Crowley was born in 1935 in Mississippi.

He went to university in Washington D.C., studying acting. He graduated in 1957 and then moved to Los Angeles.

Focused on a career in Hollywood, Crowley worked for a number of television production companies.

It was on the set of the film Splendor in the Grass where Crowley met Natalie Wood – she hired him as her assistant.

It was while working for Natalie Wood that Crowley wrote The Boys in the Band.

### The Boys in the Band

Crowley’s play opened off-Broadway in 1968 and had a 1,000-performance run.

In 1970, the play was adapted as a film – directed by William Friedkin.

Set in New York City in 1968 – when being gay was still considered to be best kept behind closed doors – a group of friends gather for a birthday party. The party is hosted by Michael and the birthday boy is Harold.

The guests are Donald, Larry, Hank, Bernard, Emory, and a rent-boy hired to be Harold’s gift for the night.

What begins as an evening of drinks and laughs gets upended when Alan - Michael’s straight-laced college roommate - shows up unexpectedly and each man is challenged to confront long-buried truths that threaten the foundation of the group’s tight bond.

### Broadway Revival

A Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band was staged in 2018\. The cast included Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Andrew Rannells.

The Broadway cast reunited for a screen adaptation of the play.

### Personal life

Crowley didn’t conceal his sexuality, he lived as a gay man.

Crowley died in New York City in March 2020\. 

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