DRAMA CLUB
STACY SHANE,
JON MARANS,
JONATHAN SILVERSTEIN & MICHAEL URIE
Not that anyone was suffering from Milk fatigue last year, but it stood to reason that perhaps theater audiences weren’t necessarily thirsty for another gay historical hero story. But after Pulitzer Prize–nominated playwright Marans (second from left) (1996’s Old Wicked Songs) debuted The Temperamentals, the show had to move to larger venues twice and its run received two extensions due to its popularity. Following the pre-Stonewall history of the gay rights movement, The Temperamentals feels neither preachy nor didactic and is a wholly engrossing drama that moves far beyond the category of “gay theater.”
Delicately directed by Keen Company resident director Silverstein (second from right), the show was shepherded by first-time producer Shane (left), from the readings Marans began staging four years ago (with a pre–Ugly Betty Michael Urie) to the fully formed production it would become with the help of co-producer Daryl Roth. It will reopen off-Broadway this winter, and there are already loud whispers about transfers to everywhere from Broadway, Los Angeles, and even the big screen.
The show also proved there’s more to Urie (far right) than the adorably obnoxious character Marc he plays on ABC’s Ugly Betty. The Julliard graduate was one of the first actors to commit to The Temperamentals, playing Austrian fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, who would go on to design the topless bikini. Resisting the temptation to turn his character into caricature, Urie surprised short-sighted audiences and critics alike with his extremely measured performance.
