Arts & Entertainment
Hay days
Rep Stage production portrays early gay rights legend
‘The Temperamentals’
Through Sept. 16
Rep Stage
Howard Community College
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, Md.
$15-$40
443-518-1500
‘Harry believed that not only should [gay people] have rights but we also should also have the right to act the way our culture is, to be ourselves even if that’s not pleasing to mainstream society,’ says gay actor RICK HAMMERLY. ‘This was very progressive thinking for the conformist 1950s. Harry had radical ideas and wasn’t always very diplomatic, but he contributed immeasurably to the gay movement before it even had a name.’ (Blade photo by Michael Key)
In “The Temperamentals,” gay playwright Jon Marans follows real life lovers Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich in 1950s Los Angeles as they boldly build the Mattachine Society, the first gay rights organization in the United States.
Marans’ compelling 2009 comedy/drama is currently in production at the award-winning Rep Stage in Columbia, Md.
According to the amiable playwright, speaking via telephone from his apartment in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen, “Typically we don’t think of Los Angeles as the hub of political activity, but what Harry Hay was doing there at the time was revolutionary. He was a visionary who saw the world differently than anyone in the U.S. back then. Hay [who died in 2002] was joyfully unapologetic about who he was. His attitude was, ‘It’s not my problem. It’s yours.’”
Marans first learned of Hay when he wrote the book to a musical based on Studs Terkel’s “Coming of Age,” a collection of interviews with activists all over 70, one of whom was Hay. The show, Marans says, “is political and very funny, particularly the part of Harry.”
The experience left Marans inspired to write more about Hay. He zeroed in on an earlier, sexier time in Hay’s life when he was ending his marriage to a woman and having a red hot affair with clothing designer Rudi Gernreich (noted for the first women’s topless bathing suit).
“Harry wasn’t an easy man. He was sort of the Larry Kramer of his day,” Marans says. “People didn’t want to work with Harry. If it weren’t for Rudi, with his abundant Viennese charm, and the several other founders, the Mattachine might never have happened.”
In forming the initially very small and secret society, Hay and fellow members came together and formally wrote down what it meant to be gay men and what was important to them. It was a journey of self discovery. Some reviews describe “The Tempermentals” as a kind of gay docudrama, but, Marans says, the play is also an exploration of our core selves and what it means to be gay and part of gay culture.
During the Eisenhower era, “temperamental” was one of various code word used by gays for gays. It was wise to stay away from calling anyone homosexual — an accusation at the root of witch hunts, police entrapments, undeserved pink slips and sometimes jail time. In his play, threats and fears are addressed and the productions are always better, Marans says, when that fear is made palpable.
Rep Stage’s artistic director Michael Stebbins, who’s gay, first saw “The Temperamentals” in New York with a much older gay friend. “After we left the theater, he said the play rang entirely true. It accurately reflects those scary but exciting times.”
As Rep Stage’s season opener, Stebbins says it fits with Rep’s mission to include a contemporary work that is both is entertaining and informative, and speaks to the American experience of cultural minority. For LGBT audiences, he says, it will inform and strengthen self-awareness.
Directed by Kasi Campbell, the production features Nigel Reed as Harry along with Vaughn Irving, Brandon McCoy and Rick Hammerly. Alexander Strain plays Rudi. Hammerly is the lone gay actor in the production’s five-man cast. Throughout rehearsals, he was called on to act as a sort of gay translator, explaining lingo and cultural cues.
“You assume actors would know better, but these straight guys were clueless about a lot of things,” he says. “It’s been interesting and a responsibility. I want this to feel as authentic as possible.”
Busy with his theater company (Factory 449) and grad school, Hammerly has to be selective about what projects he takes on. With “The Temperamentals,” he found the history and playing Bob Hull, a Mattachine founding member whom Marans writes with humor, too tempting to pass up.
“As a gay man,” says the Helen Hayes Award-winning local actor, “it’s important for me to pass this history on, especially to younger gay people who aren’t aware that it’s a big deal to be able to marry your partner or hold his hand in public. They need to know and understand the enormous strides made by people like Harry Hay.”
The Victory Fund held its National Champagne Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday, April 27. Speakers included Tim Gunn, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Music & Concerts
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
Out singer/songwriter to perform at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.
For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.
Friday, May 2
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at P.F. Chang’s. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, May 3
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, May 4
“The Chateau Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Chicatana. Enjoy fabulous Mexican food and cocktails while being entertained by a rotating cast of the DMV’s best drag performers. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
“The Bubble: Queer Brooklyn Comics in DC” will be at 5 p.m. at As You Are. Queer comedians Charlie Flynn, Evan Lazarus and Keara Sullivan are coming down from NYC for a night of fun as they split an hour of standup comedy. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, May 5
“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Tuesday, May 6
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected].
Wednesday, May 7
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older queer women can meet and socialize with one another. We will have discussion, activities, and a chance for you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, May 8
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
South Asian Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The peer support group is an outlet for South Asian-identified LGBTQ individuals to come and talk about anything affecting them. It’s a secure, judgment-free environment to discuss relationships, sexuality, health, well-being, identity, culture, religion, or anything that is on your mind. For more details, email [email protected].
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