By Harry Haun
21 Mar 2010

The personal relationship in the center ring took some stunning body blows from those repressive times. A card-carrying Communist, Hay was hounded by the House Un-American Activities Committee. (Indeed, because of concerns for secrecy and their leftist ideology, the Mattachine Society founders adopted the cell organization of the Communist Party — which, in the Red-baiting '50s, was emphatically not the way to go.) Gernreich finally had to put career over activism and leave a different kind of historical mark — as a fashion designer.

Michael Urie, who plays Gernreich, is pleased with the way the role has evolved in the six years since he did a reading of it. "As a supporting actor, I rarely get to play parts with such amazing arcs," he says, pausing a moment to see if "supporting" was the word he wanted. "I think he [Gernreich] is the leading lady, actually — but he changes so much from the beginning to the end. At the beginning, Rudi is very out-there, very forward-thinking, open to activism and not afraid to be affectionate with other men, but by the end he realizes this could affect his career — ironically, in the fashion world — and ultimately he leaves his activism by the wayside. As his lover breaks out of his shell, Rudi goes back into his."

In the role of Hay, Thomas Jay Ryan — as Variety said — "gives the piece an unexpected gravitas and urgency." Much of this comes from the homework he did for the role. "There's a great book called 'The Trouble with Harry Hay,' which is the primary source book," he notes.

"We sold it in the lobby the last time, and we probably will again. It's a great overview of his life, and then there is everything he wrote. He wrote these manifestos. If you really want to know Harry, look at what he said about himself."

Arnie Burton, Matthew Schneck and Sam Breslin Wright complete the Mattachine Society founding-fathers portrait, as well as take on six or seven other roles that weave around Hay and Gernreich — a piece of cake for a multitasking master like Burton, who just did two-and-half years of playing 75 roles in The 39 Steps.

"It's so different," he contends. "I have to say this is much harder. It's a serious play and deals with serious subject matter, so the tools you use in 39 Steps — big, broad choices — you can't get away with here. You have to look for smaller ways to make the difference. It requires more brain-work to find those little things."