NCTC Presents THE TEMPERAMENTALS, 11/4-12/8
By: Kelsey Denette Oct. 11, 2011
NCTC will present The Temperamentals by Jon Marans. The show will be running from November 4, 2011 through December 18, 2011: Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. All performances will take place at The New Conservatory Theatre Center (Walker Theatre), located at 25 Van Ness Ave. near Market St. in San Francisco, 94102. Tickets are $25-$45 each, and are available at the NCTC Box Office (415) 861-8972, or online at www.nctcsf.org.
ABOUT THE SHOW"Temperamental" was the code word for a gay man in the early 1950s. It was part of a secret language that gay men used to communicate. Set against the dark backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles, The Temperamentals is the story of the communist Harry Hay and the Viennese refugee Rudy Gernreich as they fall in love, and form the Mattachine Society, the first gay rights organization in the Pre-Stonewall climate of the United States. Through music and heated scenes, the audience is given a glimpse into the chaotic lives of these social innovators as they form a brotherhood of like-minded men, hide from a homophobic American government, and fight a judicial system that forces their very beliefs to be put on trial.
On February 9, 1950, first term Senator Joseph R. McCarthy gave a dinner address in Wheeling, West Virginia. In front the audience of Republican women, McCarthy waved a list of what he claimed were 205 known members of the Communist Party who were serving in government offices in the United States. The following day, McCarthy spoke at an event in Salt Lake City and the same list was waved before the crowd. This time, there were only 57 individuals on the list. These speeches, despite their inconsistencies, gained national attention. Americans at the height of the Cold War were obsessed with national loyalty. Investigations involving an individual's "American-ness" was plastered across newspapers and reported on radio programs. Every American was asked to be on alert for suspicious behavior amongst their neighbors and friends as a matter of national security. As a result of this constant search for "the enemy within," the American anti-Communist sentiment grew to a fever pitch creating what became known as "McCarthyism," or as some would later call it, "The Red Scare." When Undersecretary of State John Peurifoy testified later before the senate, he was asked questions regarding the loyalty of government workers. Peurifoy reported that since being under investigation 91 people had resigned, "Most of these, "he said, "were homosexuals." Suddenly, McCarthy's America was gifted a new enemy, one of "deviants" and "perverts" lurking around every corner-in well tailored slacks. Homosexuals began to be pressured out of government offices on charges of being "a security risk." This high pressure environment created a modern-day witch-hunt whereby being gay or being perceived as gay, could lead to individuals being driven from their jobs and their homes. Those who were perceived to be homosexual were many times scandalized in their communities and pressured out of public establishments. It was not uncommon during this era of fear to see stories about young men and women being jailed for what the media called "lewd and perverted behavior." Many activists regard this time as one of the most dangerous for the gay community, not only because of the rampant social mistrust occurring on a national level, but also because of the blatantly secretive actions of government offices around the world.
ABOUT THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY
Founded in 1950, the Mattachine Society was the first long standing homosexual organization in the United States. Organized in Los Angeles by former Communist Harry Hay, the society's goal was to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals- a group that Hay felt had been an underrepresented cultural minority. After signing a petition of support for presidential candidate Henry A. Wallace titled the, "Bachelors for Wallace" campaign, Hay began to speak to other gay men about organizing a similar political group. When Hay tried to continue the conversation with party goers the next morning, his comrades' fervor had been replaced with hangovers. Determined, Hay continued working on his idea for two years, drafting documents and working on a group structure that he felt would suit his future community group and its members. In 1950, what Hays manifesto referred to as, "The Call" became an underground sensation. Hay began to talk about his manifesto with high society gentlemen in Los Angeles hoping to gain support. However, many of these gentlemen worked in politics or Hollywood and refused to have their careers jeopardized by being affiliated with Hays organization. In November of 1950, Hay joined forces with his lover Rudi Gernreich, and friends Bob Hull, Chuck Rowland, and Dale Jennings to officially form the Mattachine Society. Membership in the group grew slowly until Jennings was arrested on charges of "lewd behavior" and pleaded innocent. Although the case was not widely publicized, Jennings was acquitted, and as word about the society spread throughout the gay community, Mattachine membership numbers skyrocketed. Most of the Mattachine Society's founding members had ties to the Communist Party. As the "Red Scare" surged through the United States, Hay, a member of the Communist Party for fifteen years, decided to step down as the organizations leader. The Mattachine Society continued to grow as a national organization hosting discussions and meetings until 1961. Due to internal disagreements, the national organization disbanded, while local chapters in San Francisco, New York, and the Mid West continued under similar names until the early 1970's. Although the Mattachine Society was unable to formally influence any branch of government or law, their organization increased the visibility of homosexuals in American and helped build a foundation of organized resistance that future groups, like those of Stonewall, could stand upon.
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