BWW Reviews: Take a Temperamental Journey at Lyric Stage

The Temperamentals

Written by Jon Marans, Directed by Jeremy Johnson, Scenic Design by Sara Brown, Costume Design by Tyler Kinney, Lighting Design by John R. Malinowski, Composer/Sound Design by Arshan Gailus; Production Stage Manager, Maureen Lane; Assistant Stage Manager, Eliza Mulcahy

CAST: Shelley Bolman, Steve Kidd, Will McGarrahan, Nael Nacer, Victor L. Shopov

Performances through April 28 at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston; Box Office 617-585-5678 or www.lyricstage.com

The Stonewall Riots in New York in late June, 1969, are often cited as the beginning of the modern day LGBT movement for civil rights. While that was unarguably a watershed event, the uprising did not spring forth from nothingness. In 1950, labor organizer and Communist Party member Harry Hay formed the Mattachine Society in Los Angeles with Viennese refugee and fashion designer Rudi Gernreich and a small group of like-minded friends, seeking to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals. The Lyric Stage Company presents the Boston premiere of Jon Marans' 2009 play The Temperamentals which chronicles the love story of these two men and their bold, pioneering activism that cracked open the closet door.

Living in an age when same-sex marriage is the law of the land in Massachusetts and seven other states, plus the District of Columbia, being out is not the end of a political career but often a rallying cry, and lesbians and gays are depicted as more than stereotypical caricatures in movies and television programs, it may seem like ancient history to look at a time when near-total secrecy about sexual preference prevailed. However, during the repressive 1950s, homosexuals were subject to persecution at the hands of police and members of society alike; they could be harassed and arrested on trumped up charges, physically assaulted, or terminated from employment, judged only on the basis of being who they were.

Hay took exception to this treatment and determined that collective action was necessary to achieve advances for "temperamentals," a code word for homosexuals. He did not set out to join the mainstream – in fact, he would probably not favor same-sex marriage – because his belief was that gay men are not the same as everyone else, but belong "in the air" as a sexual minority. Hay was an abrasive personality who had little success in getting others to join his cause until the more charming Gernreich entered the picture. For his part, being a Holocaust survivor was the driving force in Gernreich's life that spurred him to career success and informed his politics, compelling him to stand up for who and what he was. Together, using a model similar to the Communist Party, the couple grew the Mattachine Society from its five founders into a 2,000-member organization.

Director Jeremy Johnson's vision for staging The Temperamentals employs techniques of film noir, enhancing the element of danger inherent in the narrative by means of dim lighting, shadowy figures clad in fedoras and overcoats, and eerie background music. In collaboration with designers Sara Brown (set), John R. Malinowski (lighting), Tyler Kinney (costumes), and Arshan Gailus (composer/sound), Johnson helps the audience to take a temperamental journey, time traveling back more than half a century for a view of the grassroots effort that began to change the world. Will McGarrahan (Hay) and Nael Nacer (Gernreich) lead the strong ensemble cast, with Shelley Bolman, Steve Kidd, and Victor L. Shopov each portraying real-life key figures, as well as other composite male and female characters.

McGarrahan and Nacer demonstrate the contrast between the blustery Hay and the smooth Gernreich, working hand in glove to illustrate that the pairing was stronger than the sum of its parts. McGarrahan gradually softens Hay's rough edges as he is influenced by his lover, and brings us willingly along for the ride as Hay evolves into a more flamboyant lifestyle. Nacer's slight frame and body language boost his authenticity, as does his consistent accent. Both men realistically act out the dichotomy of comfort versus discomfort when sharing physical affection, especially if it happened in a public setting.

The three supporting players bring such richness to their characterizations that it seems like there are many more than five actors onstage. Bolman is effective as the straight attorney who represented one of the Mattachine members at a crucial trial, but he is both sympathetic and humorous as the so-called "nelly queen" Bob Hull. His mannerisms and tone of voice are spot on without resorting to broad stereotyping. Kidd portrays the butch and buff Dale Jennings who became the cause célèbre of the society when he denied guilt at his trial for soliciting a police officer, but admitted being a homosexual. Kidd's tough exterior belies an undertone of sensitivity; similarly, he transitions smoothly between the British façade of fashion designer Nigel Butler and his alter ego, the rough talking Jewish kid from New York. Shopov introduces Chuck Rowland, the other founding member and one-time boyfriend of Hull, as a sardonic, dour figure in horn-rimmed glasses and a sweater vest. His Vincente Minnelli is a bigger personality, and Shopov gets in touch with his warm, feminine side to play Harry's mother in a pink pillbox hat and Elton John-style eyeglasses.

The Temperamentals premiered at The Barrow Group Studio Theater in April, 2009, and ran Off-Broadway at New World Stages from February 18 through May 30, 2010. It received a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble Cast and Michael Urie (as Gernreich) won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2010, the playwright was nominated for the Lortel Outstanding Play Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, and the John Gassner Award. Marans has crafted his play in a semi-docudrama style, giving sufficient attention to the historical gravity of the story, but focusing on the human emotions and relationships at its heart. By letting the lives of his protagonists serve as examples, for better or worse, he skillfully weaves lessons into his dialogue without becoming pedantic and evokes an era that we hope will continue to recede in the rear view mirror.  

Photo Credit: Mark S. Howard (Nael Nacer, Will McGarrahan)

 

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