What does it take to run America’s oldest LGBTQ theatre? John Fisher, Artistic Director of Theatre Rhinoceros in San Francisco, has been doing that since 2002. But that ain’t all! He’s also a playwright whose musical spoof Medea: A Musical Comedy is currently playing off-Broadway — and he’s both directing and acting in it!
John graciously took time to answer a few questions about his life and career and his vision of the future for Theatre Rhinoceros.
John, you’re the author and director of off-Broadway’s Medea: A Musical Comedy, and you’re also in the cast. At the same time, you’re also the Artistic Director of San Francisco’s acclaimed Theatre Rhinoceros. Where do you get all that energy?
John Fisher: I exercise constantly. I swim, treadmill, bike everywhere, weights, [and] jump around in my apartment. It’s completely artificial energy, all from manic activity. I also eat healthy stuff. Until I don’t. I’ll eat so much junk food late at night that I wake up with excruciating leg cramps, screaming in pain. My husband says, “Keep it down, we have neighbors.”
Medea: A Musical Comedy is indescribable! How did you come up with the idea for it? And did you make any changes to the show between its first production back in 1994 and the current production?
JF: I just thought, “What’s the least likely show to turn into a musical? Medea… Let’s do that!” Kid killing. What could be more musical? At the time someone said, “You should do O. J.: The Musical.” But that’s not very gay. Medea just seemed gayer. Also, someone said, “You hate straight people, right?”, so I created the role of Elsa to give straight people revenge on me. And I wanted to tell a coming out story but in reverse, so I created Paul. Throw it all in the blender and you get Medea: A Musical Comedy.
It’s set in New York now — Hellsea, the Catskills. It’s all just one act now, and shorter. There are fewer actors, which means everyone gets more to do. And the actors from each company bring their own personality to the show. These actors have A LOT of personality fortunately.
Have you noticed any significant differences in doing Medea between New York City and San Francisco?
JF: Yep. Actors here are on it, endlessly creative. The show would be 16 hours long with shtick if I didn’t stop them. I love it. I think it’s great we’re performing in a synagogue. A cop came by the other night to check on us. He said, “You’d never get away with doing this in a Catholic Church.”
Theatre Rhinoceros is the longest-running LGBTQ theater in the nation. Looking ahead as Artistic Director, in what direction do you see Theatre Rhino going?
JF: Gay, gay, gay. People think the battles for queer people are won. Really? I think San Francisco and New York should secede from the Union. My word, what will they take away from us next? This country’s horrifying when you stop to think about it.
But not SF and NYC. The Rhino has to rebirth itself every decade to survive. It survived AIDS, Bush 1 and 2, COVID. The next decade will be about freedom worldwide, acceptance in every corner of the world. Every country needs gay theatre.
What’s the one question you’d like to be asked in an interview, but nobody’s asked it yet? (And, of course, what’s the answer?)
JF: Did you love your mommy? I guess they assume I did. And they’d be right. Why would anyone ask that? Anyway, she introduced me to theatre, hugged and kissed me all the time, never took me too seriously but showed up to every play I ever had anything to do with. What a champ.
Medea: A Musical Comedy is playing at the Actors Temple Theatre, 339 West 47th St., in New York. Tickets are available through the show’s website, medeanyc.com, or by calling TeleCharge at 212-239-6200.
