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Play Illuminates Piece of History
The Temperamentals gives glimpse into lives of early gay rights activists
The Temperamentals
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Normal Mailer once said that “the final purpose of art is to intensify, even, if necessary, to exacerbate, the moral consciousness of people.” The Temperamentals reaches this precipice with zest. The play, chronicling the struggles and triumphs of two real-life men—Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich—is as much art as it is historical time-piece, and the end result is both a tender love story and thrilling tale of early gay rights activism.
Stacy Shane, the show’s producer, explained why the story was important to tell. “In the early 1950s, there were some incredibly brave men who stood up for their rights and formed the first gay political organization… they could lose everything. Their jobs. Their friends. The fact that they had the strength and nerve to do this astounds me every time I watch it.” But the beauty of the show is that it isn’t only historical narrative. The Temperamentals also showcases the love story of Hay and Gernreich, two men whose personal lives became intertwined with, and which ultimately fueled the history being made around—and by—them. Says Shane, “if these two men hadn’t fallen in love, it might never have happened.”
After an extremely successful run in May, the John Marans written, Jonathan Silverstein directed The Temperamentals is enjoying an encore presentation at The Barrow Group Theater. The show is headlined by Thomas Jay Ryan and Michael Urie (of television’s Ugly Betty) and features supporting performances by Tom Beckett, Matthew Schneck and Sam Breslin Wright. The actors have worked hard to make the relationships between the characters palpable. “All five of our cast members have formed such a tight unit. They’ve brought all of these true characters painstakingly,and sometimes incredibly humorously, to life,” enthuses Shane. The run will conclude July 5th, so be sure to check out this poignant and enlightening play.