Mauckingbird Theatre Company is bringing another compelling LGBT-themed production to the stage with the Philadelphia premiere of “The Temperamentals” April 11-29.
Set against a backdrop of the anti-communist hysteria at the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s, “The Temperamentals,” named for a code gay men used to refer to themselves, reveals the courageous men of the Mattachine Society, the first viable gay-rights movement in the United States, and explores the secret love story that unfolded between the communist Harry Hay and the Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich.
Openly gay playwright Jon Marans said he happened upon the story of pioneering gay-rights activist Hay while working on another project.
“I had been hired to write the book to a musical based on a book called ‘Coming of Age,’ which is a series of interviews about these political activists and anarchists who are all over the age of 70,” Marans said. “One of the interviews was with Harry Hay. And I had never heard of him, to be honest, which I am embarrassed to say now. So I put the character into the show. He was only in a few scenes, but every time he was in the musical, he stole the show. Harry was a visionary and he saw the world in a way that I think no one else had seen at that point. It was exciting to an audience and certainly to me. The other part about Harry that appealed to me is that he was joyously unapologetic about who he was, which I found to be incredible back then. Even today it can be difficult.”
Marans said he was inspired to learn more about the life and times of Hay.
“I started reading more about him and I found this book by Stuart Timmons called ‘The Trouble with Harry Hay,’ which is an astounding book,” Marans said. “Then when I found the story about the Mattachine Society, then I had found my hook.”
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest gay-rights organizations in the United States, started by Hay and a group of Los Angeles men. Early on, the group adopted the cell organizational structure used by the Communist Party. As the movement grew, the membership replaced the early Communist model with a more traditional civil-rights leadership style. By 1961, the society had splintered into regional groups.
“I was obviously very interested in telling the story of the Mattachine Society, but I was even more interested in when these five guys found each other,” Marans said. “It’s very much sort of a ‘Mission Impossible’ story in the beginning, because nobody in their right mind in 1950 would be this crazy to start a gay political organization during a time when communists were being hunted down and homosexuals didn’t come out. It was a dangerous time. So for five gay communists to have the balls to come out was significant. Gay men had never gotten together politically before. So when they got together, they discovered they had to write a manifesto about who they were and what they stood for. A lot of the play is the journey of these five men as they form this organization and build it, then changing and discovering who they are and what is important to them.”
Marans added that while the Mattachine Society was an important organization in the history of LGBT rights, it doesn’t get nearly the same attention as events such as the Stonewall riots and the organizations that came in their wake.
“They did form the organization but at the end of the day, it did fall apart, at least in Los Angeles,” Marans said. “It slowly started cropping up in other parts of the country because of what happened in L.A. But I think in some people’s eyes, they didn’t achieve what they wanted to.”
Marans said the story of the Mattachine Society resonates with audiences who recognize the parallels between the McCarthyism of the 1950s and the political climate of today.
“It’s pretty apparent right now, isn’t it? With people like Rick Santorum, it’s almost like you can’t believe you’re hearing what you’re hearing. And he says it without any embarrassment at all. There was a couple that saw the show and one of them said, ‘Oh my God, we’ve come so far. It’s really amazing.’ And the other guy said, ‘I don’t think we’ve come far at all.’ I think that’s what the play is saying. We’re still where we were.”
Mauckingbird Theatre Company presents “The Temperamentals” April 11-29 at Skybox at The Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St. For more information or tickets, call 215-923-8909 or visit www.mauckingbird.org.