The Temperamentals @ New Theatre

In the closeted USA of the early 1950s, ‘temperamental’ was code for ‘homosexual’.

Jon Marans’ 2009 play The Temperamentals, which opened last night at the New Theatre for Mardi Gras, tells the important, little known story of grassroots political activist Harry Hay and costume designer Rudi Gernreich, who fell in and out of love while forming the Mattachine Society, a galvanizing group for fellow ‘temperamentals’ and America’s first gay rights organisation.

The five-man cast bringing this story to life is uniformly strong, mixing genuine pathos with moments of affection and humour.

Former Jersey Boys cast member Daniel Scott does well navigating a tough trans-Atlantic in his role as Gernreich, and the wiry Mark Dessaix wrings every drop of comedic relief out of his various characters.

Supporting player Ben McIvor is particularly impressive, looking and sounding authentically 1950s-era American — the guy looks something out of an old Archie comic, and has mastered an accent to match.

It’s a shame the actors haven’t been better framed by some of the technical elements of the play. While lighting designer Brenda Hartly expertly delineates scene changes with subtle lighting changes, Kevin Jackson’s direction at times felt like it could’ve been sharper — one pivotal moment, where a character finds himself the subject of entrapment by a police officer in a men’s bathroom, was rushed and anticlimactic.

The decision to include the audience in a meeting of the Mattachine Society in the second act felt similarly undercooked.

Ultimately, though, The Temperamentals tells an important, little-heard story about life pre-gay liberation, and it’s skilfully told by a passionate cast. It’s sure to be one of the highlights of the Mardi Gras theatre season.

INFO: The Temperamentals, New Theatre, until March 3. www.newtheatre.org.au

Photo by BOB SEARY