The Kid Gets Into Pictures

After he
completed studies at Brown, Bock threw himself into AIDS
activism, becoming involved with ACT UP and Queer Nation in
Rhode Island. He also wrote plays specifically for the
gay community in Providence. “I was a
propagandist for a while, and I started doing this thing
called The Gay Boy Nutcracker, a Christmas
pageant.” Writing queer-themed playlets set to
the traditional Tchaikovsky music, he included such
items as a lesbian marriage and a lesbian ballet in the
seasonal productions, which ran over a four-year
period. He subsequently moved to San Francisco, where
he pursued playwriting while supporting himself with
part-time jobs. Then five years ago he arrived in New
York City, where he has managed to successfully launch
himself as a full-time playwright.

Now in his mid
40s, Bock is ready for the next phase in his career. He
recently signed a deal with producer Scott Rudin to work on
a yet-to-be-determined film script. Looking back to
the 1990s, he notes, “I think the AIDS crisis
knocked a lot of people for a loop, and exhausted us.
For gay men, in particular, who are into their 40s and
50s...we missed a whole group who never got to be that
age. I think it is going to be really interesting to
watch gay men take power and how we are going to use
it. I can feel myself revving up again.”