The Temperamentals at Rep Stage - Horowitz Center

The Temperamentals

Rep Stage - Horowitz Center
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia

“Temperamental” was code for “homosexual” in the early 1950’s, part of a created language of secret words that gay men used to communicate. Winner of a Drama Desk Award in 2010, “The Temperamentals” tells the story of two men – the communist Harry Hay and the Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich – as they fall in love while building the first gay rights organization in the pre-Stonewall United States. “With style and sense of humor, it mixes politics with…comedy and unexpected bursts of emotional candor,” wrote David Cote in Time Out New York.

Thru - Sep 16, 2012

Wednesdays: 7:00pm

Thursdays: 7:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 2:00pm & 8:00PM

Sundays: 2:00PM & 6:30PM

Price: $31 - $40

Show Type: Drama

Running Time: 2 hrs, 30 mins with 1 intermission

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The Temperamentals Reviews

Average Rating based on 7 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

"... “The Temperamentals,” which takes its title from a code term for gay men at the time, bristles with possibility, and with marriage equality in the air and in the courts it’s obviously timely. (The play has been getting a number of productions around the country.) But you sense the blank spots and shortcuts because Marans doesn’t effectively dramatize this history. He teases you with it."

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- Nelson Pressley

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"... In Rep Stage’s production of The Temperamentals the ensemble of fine actors plunge into Jon Marans’ very observant play with intensity and verve. Playing with brisk efficiency under the astute direction of Kasi Campbell, this play deals with the prejudice and hypocrisy of society against the ‘temperamentals’ – the code word devised for ‘homosexual.’ Set in the early 1950s in Los Angeles, California – during the time of the Red Scare, this play is an attack against the hysteria and lies that forced people to live in secrecy and fear."

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- David Friscic

Baltimore Sun - Recommended

"...Director Kasi Campbell offers sensitive guidance throughout and keeps the action moving steadily all over JD Madsen's two-tiered set, which delivers atmosphere with a minimum of fuss -- and with the help of Dan Covey's expert lighting. (I'm not sure the blow-up of a magazine ad from World War II fits the otherwise subtle scenic design.)"

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- Tim Smith

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...The Temperamentals is a fascinating depiction on how life was like for gay people over a half century ago and how brave men who risked so much sought to right the wrongs. An engaging romantic parallel story offers additional humanity to this well-written, well-directed, expertly performed play."

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- Steve Charing

ExploreHoward - Recommended

"...The multiple characters and scenes ensure that "The Temperamentals" remains moving both physically and emotionally. Nevertheless, there are occasional scenes where there's only so much that can be done by moving chairs around at yet another organizational meeting. Hang in there, because within minutes there will be a comic zinger or a dramatic outburst."

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- Mike Giuliano

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

The production is more triumphant than it is joyous, more sardonic than it is comical (though the audience will certainly be admitted a few laughs here and there). With gorgeous Mad Men-era attire (costume design Denise Umland) and a shadowy and straight-edged mood (lighting design Dan Covey and sound design Neil McFadden), it’s as smooth and wafting as the 1950’s landscape it inhabits.

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- Sarah Ameigh

BroadwayWorld - Recommended

"... There is nothing, he comes to feel, that should prevent gays from asserting that they are unbroken, from living openly, yet leaving the closet is almost unimaginable for most of his mates. Even the Mattachine Society is organized like a Communist cell, there are no photos at meetings, and the telephone is hidden under a pillow, lest it be bugged. It is not only an era of considerable pecknsiffery, but McCarthy time, and the Mattachine members are terrified. The play does a good job of showing how the LA homosexual underground was thoroughly intertwined with the Communist Party, meaning that its members had two separate unmaskings to fear."

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- Jack L. B. Gohn

The Temperamentals at Rep Stage - Horowitz Center