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He made it after all
Don. Horn reflects on Triangle Productions
by
F loyd S klaver
hen you think of Don Hom, you
probably don’t think of Mary Tyler
Mixire. Yet, the two of them share
the same birthday, the same sunny
disposition and the same determination
ceed. And both accelerated their success when
they formed their own production companies.
Fifteen years ago, Horn founded Triangle
Pnxluctions, one of the oldest gay-identified
theater companies on the West Coast.
Although a number of local theaters have
closed since then, Triangle persevered, finish
ing its current season with smash reviews and
sold-out performances of The Rocky Horror
Show starring Wade McCollum.
But, inevitably, change
occurs, and Hom is scaling
back. The 50-year-old plans to
divide his time between a
house in Greece and Portland,
where he’ll still produce one
choice play per year. Just Out
recently chatted with the ex
actor and impresario.
W
Floyd Sklaver: What was
the impetus behind Triangle?
Don Hom: I wrote a play
and tixik it to all the theaters
in town...and they all said it’s
not the show for us. So I
thought, “Why can’t 1 do it
myself?”
on the tickets, then they would sell them.
FS: What are you most proud of?
DH: I ’m from a family who hates me. So
to for suc
me
to go from nobody liking the fat, chub
by kid to being successful is amazing. I’ve
always said if I can do it, anybtxly can do their
dream...I don’t regret anything I’ve done.
I remember my dad sitting on the porch and
saying, “If I could just do it over again.” And 1
remember thinking 1 don’t ever want to be that
way.
FS: Where did you find the time and the
energy to work two full-time jobs?
DH: That’s just
me. Don’t ask me
how. I realize I
want to slow
down, but 1 don’t
know if I can.
I love the energy
of the theater.
1 love the laughter,
1 love the tears. It’s
not the applause
so much as know
ing people appreci
ate what they’ve
seen.
FS: What’s
with the bare
feet?
FS: What show was it?
DH: I grew up^
DH: After the Rain, and it
[in Bums] with
was a huge hit. It deals
Don Horn is scaling back to producing
one pair of shoes.
with.. .the AIDS epidemic but one choice play per year.
My papa always
also the surviving people left
said if you want
behind. [It’s] about a young man whose lover
those shoes to last you’ll take them off when
died. In the last scene, the parents of the
you come home. It’s just me...l also want peo
deceased come and start taking his things.
ple to feel like you don’t have to be rich to
1 didn’t know that the director, Jerry Leith, was
come to the theater. You can be comfortable
going through the same thing. His lover died,
and be who you are.
and his parents came and said, “We want the
chandelier, we want the couch.” And he said,
FS: What’s the future of gay theater
“We bought that together,” and they said
nationally and in Portland?
tough. They literally brought a U-Haul trailer
DH: Five or 10 years ago, the audience was
and-emptied the house.
hugely gay on...Broadway. Angels in America.
Love! Valour! Oompassion! You had the voice of
FS: How many shows did you produce?
gay people. But Tony Kushner and others
DH: Over 150. You know, [our logo! is not
aren’t writing for the theater now. They’ve
the gay triangle, but it’s the trinity. It faces
gone mainstream and are writing for movies or
upward, and there’s a hand coming down. I’ve
television. [So] there isn’t a big voice right now
always felt that the hand of G<xl guided me
for gay people in the theater. Paul Rudnick
through this. We did Bent when Measure 9
hasn’t written anything since Jeffrey. Terrence
happened, and the parallels were so amazing.
McNally did Full Monty, which had a gay
There are times when I did something that just
character, but that was no Love! Valour!
happened at the right time that I needed to do
(Compassion?
it.
FS: What do you wish you could have
FS: What was your biggest challenge?
done that you didn’t?
DH: Bein^called “the gay theater,” because
DH: I wish I could have convinced the
then I couldn’t get straight people to come.
community to help us buy the Theater Theatre
Then when I started doing straight shows...the
building to make it a gay and lesbian center...I
gays complained. I couldn’t win.
begged and begged and begged, and no one
would listen. I said I’d manage the building for
FS: What’s the most controversial thing
free, the theater would stay here, there’s plenty
you did?
of room for offices upstairs. But influential peo
DH: We did Vampires Lesbians of Sodom
ple said not on the east side. It’s funny, 1 want
back in 1991. Fastixx and Fred Meyer’s would
ed to do theater because of my passion, but
n’t sell our tickets at their stores because of the
what I really at the end wanted to do was have
title.... It’s a silly little show, but they wouldn’t
a gay and lesbian center. This was just 2 1/2
sell it. When they finally agreed to print VLOS
years ago.