“The Tempermentals” Dramatizes The Early Days Of The Mattachine Society

Arouet is one of the very few theater companies in Seattle that makes an effort to stage specifically queer theater. So it’s not surprising they are producing the northwest premiere of Jon Marans’ “The Tempermentals”, a play that examines the formation of The Mattachine Society by activists Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich long before the days of Stonewall, gay pride or the activism of more militant groups like Act-Up.

Arouet is proud to present The Tempermentals by Jon Marans. Admist the fear of the McCarthy era and through their deep desire to find a place to be who they were, these five temperamental men challenged what was socially acceptable for gay men in the US. Their victories and losses echo in today’s gay rights debate as we wait to hear the Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA and Prop 8.

The New York Times called The Temperamentals “an eminently likable docudrama about gay identity in the age of Eisenhower.” Backstage said “The Temperamentals is an exceedingly fine play — smart, passionate, focused, and satisfying.” After Elton stated “playwright Jon Marans has written the brilliantly-titled The Temperamentals, a play that captures all the messy complexity of the founding of a movement,” while the Associated Press calls it “Fascinating, entertaining and emotionally affecting.”

“The Tempermentals opens Friday, May 10 at The Ballard Underground at 2220 NW Market Street, (and as the name of the theater implies, it’s a basement space underneath a record/music store…it can be tricky to find on your first visit) and runs through May 25. Tickets available HERE!