The Precious Scars

Choose this as your historical drama for Fringe!

Brian Farrey-Latz delights us with a script that is funny and heartfelt. While set in 19070s San Francisco,this show feels timeless. Just two people talking about issues personal and global, it clues us into what we know and what we hope to have. The two actors at the center of the piece perfectly contrast each other and compliment each other at the right moments. (And an extra special shout out to Cookie!)

History That’s Still Relevant

I live in Minneapolis, with an all-Democratic city council and mayor; in the 5th U.S. Congressional district with a pro-gay, far left U.S. Representative; in a state where a married lesbian mother has a decent chance to become our next U.S. Senator. So it’s easy to forget how bad things used to be – and still are in many families and places. I remember the 1970s. Yes, things are better now. But a play like this remains important. It also has the difficult task of making a “message” show interesting. It succeeds.

We think we've come so far ...

Good script, though I think it could have been shorter (it runs 50 minutes), as it kind of rehashes the same issues over and over again. But the actors playing Harvey Milk and Billy Sipple were quite strong, as was the dialogue. It doesn't seem to some of us of a certain age that those times were so long ago, and yet it almost seems like forever ago, back when we were hopeful that things would get better and that our culture and government would bend the arc towards justice and equal rights.

Harvey Milk, His Friend, and a Drag Queen

...walk into a bar, and hash out the pros and cons of "outing" gay people in the 80s. This show was overall very well done. I didn't really know what the point of liquor boxes and a dart board sitting on the bar top was, except to pay off passing references. The performances were very good, and the show clipped the best when it was dialogue, and then nearly ground to a halt at a too-long ending monologue.

Historical Drama still relevant today

Queer stories should always be shared. This drama is witty, fast paced, and at moments intense. The playwright did a wonderful job of writing a historical drama that also makes you think. The show is also well acted, and everyone using the space well. Come to the show, learn something from it, and never stop telling queer stories.

A great message: outing, responsible or not?

Creativity 4; Production Value 3; Interest (subjective) 3 This was near the top of our 50+ list of "must see" Fringe works. And, as others have noted, the message is timely and the historical event was interesting. We found the acting somewhat wooden and the story straighforward without the nuance it deserved, thus the time drug a bit for us. By-the-way, I just checked out Billy's Wikipedia page and found that his visions of not only Harvey Milk's death, but his own, were true.

We all should be like Milk

A very well-written and performed drama. This flowed well and the actors really were compelling. The original music was good, but I felt it was a bit awkward coming in and out. I recommend this show!!

Relevant and thoughtful (and thought provoking!)

I truly appreciated the nuanced dialogue and storytelling of this play. The question of what sacrifice one should take (or force others to take) to possibly benefit future generations is a tough one to think about. I liked that the play was not trying to give a definitive answer to the questions raised, but offered us a chance to hear opposing views through the characters’ lived experiences. I still don’t know the answer and it is not my place to even have one as a straight cis-woman, but this play approached this dilemma with thoughtfulness. Overall well acted and highly recommend!

A Solid, Well-written Play

Really enjoyed this play. It was well-written, perfectly cast and solidly performed by the three cast members. The set was simple, but served the story. Kudos to the writers, actors and producers who delivered for us a solid piece of theater.

Who Gets to Decide?

A politician... a marine... and a drag queen... walk into a gay bar! Who gets to decide to what extent any one person is out? There is a price to be paid by being in the closet. But there is also a huge price to pay for being outed by someone else, someone who is supposed to be a part of your safe community, until they are not. This is not just a historical play about way back when. It is also about today and the crazy world we live in now. It theory, it has been easier to come out as LGBTQ+ these past decades. But now? Who get's to decide the price someone else pays for the good of the current and future generations? Is it okay to deep your foot into the gay pool at your own pace? Is it okay to push someone else off the high board head first? This play presents important questions without easy answers. Come to this play and explore what you think is and is not okay.

An important part of history

I love the Fringe for the wide variety of shows and themes it presents. This is serious drama (though not without some humor). All three actors are excellent, strong performers. The story is sensitively told (thanks to Brian Farrey-Latz), and the setting (both time and place) is perfect. This show asks us to explore deep questions both in our collective history and in our lives today. How much of another person's story do we get to tell? Where is the line between the right to privacy and the benefit to a community? No easy answers either then or now, but certainly still questions worth asking.

Way back when ...

Way back when being openly gay often put the gay person at risk for losing their job, family, etc., this is a good reminder of how things used to be. Of course, I knew about Harvey Milk, but I don't know why I hadn't heard about Billy Sipple before! This play is not your typical history piece, as it tackles the larger question of who gets to live their own lives on their own terms.

A Unique Perspective

The preview and being both a history and political buff was one set of hooks. The other hook was as an out gay man since 1984, I wanted to see how this production would present events. I was not disappointed . I was both educated and entrained. From the program it is clear that you will have two strong pillars in this story to monitor but don't overlook Cookie. This third character has something to say and may be the true thought provoker. The Harvey Milk we see here is already on a mission and as a leader he knows "best". So outing Sipple is for the good of the community and Milk believes ultimately for Billy. The interchanges between the three characters makes for some self examining moments if you are open to doing so. While not for all I think it should be near the top of your list

Thoughtful, but repetitive

A very prescient and thoughtful story, but it felt like the two main characters were stating their same thesis statement over and over. The two leads did very well, but struggled to fill the whole Rarig Thrust. If this was performed at a more intimate venue, I think it could've been electric. The prophetic dreams was my favorite part of the play, and I wish I could've seen the more subtle reactions to that relevantion