Interview: Brady Coyle-Smith of THE BOYS IN THE BAND at Proud Mary Theatre Company

Proud Mary Theatre Company's regional premiere of the updated version of Mart Crowley's classic The Boys in the Band opens October 26.

Actor Brady Coyle Smith recently took the time to share a little about himself and his journey, what we can expect from this production, and his thoughts on the play's continuing relevance and historical importance.

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Please tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Piedmont, SC where one didn't discuss the topic of homosexuality since it was constantly preached about from the pulpit in church. I was always involved in church plays and musicals from a very early age, so acting and singing have always been my favorite hobbies which have naturally carried over into adulthood. I teach elementary school music which is incredibly (eerily) similar to being onstage - always being larger than life, over the top, overly animated, and constantly going with the flow of the unplanned and unexpected.

This play is set in 1968, one year before the Stonewall Riots, considered the beginning of the gay rights movement. Homosexuality was still illegal in 1968, and 50 years later, you have a husband and two children. Please tell us about your family and your journey to having it all with children.

My husband Tim and I have been together for 11 years and have been married for 3. Although I knew I was "different" from a very early age, I didn't fully accept myself until I was in college. Oddly enough, homosexuality was somewhat illegal in a way at my college so I had to continue to hide my true self until I'd graduated. Part of my struggle with my sexuality was my religious upbringing but also the fact that I wanted children and the despair/fear of that desire never coming to fruition. We began our adoption journey 2 years ago and a little over a year in, after several failed adoptions and scams, we decided to step away and take a break so that our hearts could heal from the emotional toll. Several hours after we found peace with our decision, we were presented with the opportunity to meet a birthmother who was pregnant and interested in matching with us. We decided to meet and the 3 of us connected immediately. Our daughter was born almost 2 months later. Through our beautifully unique open adoption relationship, we formed a deep bond with our daughter's mom who we love like a blood relative. This relationship opened the door to adopting our daughter's biological brother who is 10 months older. We are able to openly love and live with our dreams realized because of the brave souls who fought back at Stonewall. "Thank you" seems so inadequate and we strive to live each day with gratitude for the opportunities we've (the younger gay generation) been given.

Does this production have an all-gay cast like the Broadway version?

We do not have an all-gay cast, but I think this speaks volumes of where we are in today's society. The fact that there are 3 straight men playing gay characters with such sincerity and reverence is deeply touching. In our character meetings with our director, all 3 men expressed concern for being sensitive to the character and topic of homosexuality without being cliche' or offensively stereotypical. Because of their attention to and sensitivity towards their gay castmates' feelings, we are able to dive deep into a dark play without fear or hesitation.

What are some of your theatre credits in the Upstate and beyond?

I've been blessed with a wonderful theater career in the Upstate. Some favorite roles include Sonny Malone (Xanadu), Gabe (Next to Normal), Historian/Not-Dead Fred/Prince Herbert/French Taunter (Spamalot), Hysterium (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Brad Majors (Rocky Horror Show), Curly (Oklahoma), Mungojerrie (CATS), Jimmy (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Greg Wilhote (Hands on a Hardbody), Rod (Avenue Q), Ugly (Honk!).

Before joining the cast, what was your familiarity with THE BOYS IN THE BAND?

To be quite honest, I'd only heard of the play but never read it or watched the movie. I knew it was considered a staple piece of art in the gay world but I didn't take the time to watch the movie. Upon hearing Proud Mary Theater was going to do the show, I immediately watched the movie and was floored. I knew I had to do it, but feared I might not get cast since I'd only done musical theater.

What exactly attracted you to this play?

As I stated before, I typically only participate in musicals where singing and dancing are just as important as acting. I wanted to challenge myself to focus on my acting chops and not use my singing and dancing abilities as crutches. Aside from the challenge of acting in a play, I found the content of this play to be so real and raw for so many of us who grew up in an environment where we had to band together and hide ourselves from the world. Michael has an incredibly powerful line at the end of the show that takes me back to my 9 year old self when he says "if we could just learn to not hate ourselves quite so very much." Growing up, I hated myself because of who I was and the disappointment that the real me would cause my family. This hatred carried on through middle and high school, through college, and even into my early twenties. If I'm being completely vulnerable, it still rears its head. Hate (insecurity) causes us to say and do things we normally wouldn't do. This hate isn't limited just to the gay community, which is why I think this play speaks to audiences of all gender, orientation, identity, race, etc.

What can you tell us about the plot?

My character, Michael, is hosting a little birthday dinner for a friend. Over the course of the evening, Michael's old roommate from college arrives unexpectedly. This unexpected guest's arrival throws the party into a downward spiral where innermost feelings and true colors are revealed.

What can you tell us about your character?

Michael is definitely a Type A personality. He is controlling, highly competitive, preoccupied with status and is very materialistic. These traits mask the fact that he has not come to grips with his sexuality and that he has a hard time when others have. The journey Michael goes on in this play is incredibly challenging and is a dream role for sure!

What does THE BOYS IN THE BAND say about gay culture in 1968?

The name of the play has been the biggest misconception I've encountered since signing on to do this play. People have said "oh you'll be great in this because you're a music teacher/music person" to which I've had to respond by saying "it isn't about a band in the literal sense of the term." The gay culture in 1968 had to band together and find solace within confined spaces/each other. The fact that men could be arrested for standing too close to each other if they were suspected of being homosexual forced men to live a life of fear and secrecy. Landlords could evict tenants on the suspicion of homosexuality so there was even a strong sense of fear within the confines of "home." The entire play takes place in Michael's apartment and to see how such a safe space ends up becoming a firing zone speaks to the delicacy of the times in 1968.

What does THE BOYS IN THE BAND mean to gay culture today?

Homosexuality is pretty mainstream nowadays with shows like Will & Grace, Modern Family, even RuPaul's Drag Race bringing exposure to a culture who fought tooth and nail for the basic right to love and exist in public. Sometimes we focus too much on the glossy, beautiful progress that has been made with human rights. This play reminds people of the struggles and tragedies gay men and women faced (and still do) not only externally, but internally as well. This play exposes audience members to characters that everybody can relate to whether it be themselves or somebody they know. There are effeminate characters, wealthy characters, butch/masculine characters, promiscuous characters, characters of different race and religion, characters who appear very secure with themselves and characters who take hours to get ready to cover up their insecurities. To love oneself is the greatest achievement and this play shows what happens when we don't love each other or ourselves.

What are some of the takeaways from THE BOYS IN THE BAND?

There are so many but the greatest, in my opinion, relates to Michael's line mentioned earlier -- "if we could all just learn to not hate ourselves quite so very much." Hate causes us to say and do things that we know we shouldn't do and say. We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Be kind to those we love and hold in our inner circle, our "band" of people. When you find your tribe, love them hard.

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THE BOYS IN THE BAND

Directed by John Fagan, Producing Artistic Director of the Upstate
Shakespeare Festival

Stars Jon Kilpatrick, Brady Coyle-Smith, Kevin Ray Cohen, Charlie Hyatt,
Brandon Mimnaugh, Benjamin Abrams, Holt McCarley, Luke Browder and Zachary Urban.

THE BOYS IN THE BAND is rated PG-13 for mature language and adult situations.

SPARTANBURG DATES
October 26-28 - Friday-Saturday @ 8 p.m. and Sunday @ 3 p.m.
West Main Artists Co-Op, 578 West Main Street

GREENVILLE DATES
November 1-3 - Thursday-Saturday @ 8 p.m.
Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1135 State Park Road

BENEFIT PERFORMANCE & RECEPTION FOR UPSTATE PRIDE
Thursday, November 1 @ 7 p.m. (Show @ 8 p.m.)
Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1135 State Park Road

GET YOUR Tickets HERE