Courtesy of SDSU Theatre DepartmentAny child can talk about the greats: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, to name a few. But what about those who changed lives and didn’t make the history books?
Harvey Milk, the first openly gay political candidate, is one such person. Although he was as much an activist as any other famous political figure, what he fought for was more forbidden. His battle for gay rights and AIDS awareness may have been one of the first, but it was not the last. Now, the lives he changed and people he impacted can be seen in San Diego State’s latest play “Dear Harvey.” Recently, The Daily Aztec was able to sit down with actor Derek Smith for an interview.
The Daily Aztec: What is “Dear Harvey” about?
Derek Smith: It’s a compilation of letters and stories of all these people who worked really closely with Harvey Milk, about him and about this epic battle for gay rights in a time where gay people weren’t out of the closet because it wasn’t accepted at all, it wasn’t an actual part of society. It was kind of the evolution of the openly gay lifestyle and (shows) why Harvey Milk was so important to that new era, especially in that time period of the “70s and the sexual revolution. But more importantly it’s all about the gay rights aspect and fighting for that.
DA: How does the play differ from last year’s movie “Milk?”
DS: It’s beyond just Harvey Milk’s life. It’s more focused around everyone that he affected and what happened afterwards and what we’re hoping to do next.
DA: What is the atmosphere of the play like?
DS: When you’re watching, it kind of feels like you’re in Harvey’s camera shop listening to all these really good friends tell stories.
DA: What genre would you consider “Dear Harvey?”
DS: Every scene is staged differently but the show brings you into a different world and sort of shows you in that way. It’s almost like a documentary in the fact that it’s information, but it’s also this wonderful kind of celebration of the capacity of human life. I know that sounds really weird but it’s more of a story than a documentary because our mainstream society doesn’t really know about Harvey Milk and they don’t know about gay rights and gay history and I think this show will take them more on a journey of finding that for themselves. It’s acted out and it’s theatrical and there’s dancing and it’s really fun.
DA: The show is based on a touchy subject. Do you think this will deter anyone from coming to watch?
DS: I think that anyone can see this show and really enjoy it, no matter what your beliefs are (and) no matter what you feel about current gay politics or past gay politics. Some people dismiss it as gay theater, and so people assume “Oh, gay theater. That’s not me.’ But the fact is that gay culture is a huge part of our society so we want to make sure that people get to see something as wonderful and as moving as this.”
DA: “Dear Harvey” focuses on the lives Milk changed. Could this play have the same effect on its audience?
DS: (My character) talks in depth about his friends who died and his experiences and having to live through and be one of the ones who lived through the AIDS epidemic. I think this brings up a lot of emotions in people who weren’t a part of the gay community and who weren’t a part of any sort of artistic community because every adult of our generation lived through the AIDS epidemic and lived through a time where people’s friends were dropping like flies, just dying. And I’ve had staff members who see it come up to me and say “I went to six funerals in one month and they were all my closest friends.” I think there are things like that that can’t be ignored in the show. No matter who sees this show they’re going to be emotionally connected in some sort of way.
The show runs one hour and 20 minutes with no intermission. Following each show will either be a discussion with the people depicted in the play and members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations or a post-show titled “Accidentally Phylla, an Accident Waiting to Happen. Or, Tis Pitty She’s a Man.” For tickets and more information, visit theatre.sdsu.edu.
Play: Dear Harvey
When: 8 p.m., Sept. 24, 25, 26, 30 and Oct. 1, 2
2 p.m. Sept. 27
Tickets: $13-$15
