Theater Review: The Temperamentals

Thomas Jay Ryan, Michael Urie
(Photo: David Rogers David Rogers)

A Look at the Start of the Gay Movement
By Lauren Yarger
Back in the early 1950s, Communist Harry Hay (Thomas John Ryan) wrote a manifesto arguing that gays, code word "temperamentals," should be recognized as a sexual minority. He and his lover, fashion designer Rudi Gernreich (Michael Urie), try hard to sign up members for their Mattachine Society, which eventually becomes obsolete following the McCarthy Senate hearings on anti-American activity and the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York’s Greenwich Village.

Now, if you stretch that paragraph into two hours, you have Jon Marans’ play The Temperamentals, playing Off-Broadway. The play presents interesting information about a little-know movement and some insight into men living double lives – Harry is married with children – in order to keep up appearances in a culture that wasn’t accepting of openly homosexual behavior. In this, however, it seems a rehash of every other gay-themed play about two guys who can’t be together because something, usually either society or religion, won’t let them.

The performances directed by Jonathan Silverstein are good. Ryan and Urie are backed by Arnie Burton, Matthew Schneck and Sam Breslin Wright playing multiple roles.

“I intend never to be mistaken for a heterosexual again,” Harry claims and decides to start wearing women’s shawls and other garments to the delight of Rudi who also is getting pressure at work to find a wife to maintain appearances.

When one of the group’s members is arrested for lewd behavior, Harry urges him to fight in court so that his status as a sexual minority can be established. He wins the case, but the press shows no interest and Harry’s hopes for publicity about their “underground railroad” are dashed. The group sings “God save us queens” to the tune of “God Save the Queen.”

It just wasn’t interesting enough to me, nor were the characters likable enough, to justify a two-hour play, but I myself am in a minority, it seems. The Drama Desk has given the play a special ensemble award and the Outer Critics Circle has nominated it as Best Outstanding Play and for its John Gassner Award, presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright.

The Temperamentals runs through May 30 at New World Stages, 340 West 50th St., NYC. Discounted tickets are available for friends of Masterwork Productions here.

Christians might also like to know:
• Homosexual themes
• Homosexual activity
• Language