Seven questions with Salem Brophy

Hey, by now you know Jobsite's HIR opens tonight. HIR's our seven questions with Salem Brophy, who plays Max Connor.

You say in your bio you’re honored to represent a “small slice of the trans-masculine community” as Max Connor. What would you hope people take away from your portrayal as Max? 

I hope that cisgender theatergoers understand by the end of the play that teenagers, that transgender people, that far-left people — and especially far-left trans teenagers! — while silly at times (extremely silly, in Max's case!), are not just clowns; we're people, and there's often earnestness, idealism, fierce intelligence, power and an awful lot of heart underneath all of that silly human! I welcome and encourage everyone to laugh at Max and me, and the young people like us… but Hell mend you if you dismiss us. 

In your bio, you also say you ponder kitty cats. What have you learned? We only ask because our cats have taught us very little and we’d like them to up their enlightenment game. 

Ah, yes, speaking of us silly humans… Cats are really good both at loving others and loving themselves. The only thing that comes anywhere close to the unconditional and mutual love between a cat and their human is a love a parent has for their child (if they're a good parent, that is). At the same time, cats love themselves enough where it is absolutely impossible to make them feel guilty about how they enforce their own boundaries. I really envy that.

Tell us about your podcast, please.

I started a podcast with my former professor and employer (and basically my second dad), Rick Tetrault, the tech director at Eckerd College. He's a way more seasoned podcaster and editor than I am. The podcast in its initial conception and first few episodes were meant to be an educational resource for prospective allies of the LGBT+ community. However, in the aftermath of the 2016 election, our ideas of activism and of what counts as making substantial, critical, and constructive political and social difference in the pursuit of justice were challenged in the face of that upheaval. As a result, we began to re-evaluate what we wanted listeners (and ourselves as hosts) to get out of the experience, and eventually decided to go for a more interview-based program where we sit down with different facets of the community and delve into individual experiences and histories. It's still not come off hiatus, but once we both have clearer visions and better schedules, I'm hoping we can make it work.

Back to HIR: What’s been the most pleasant surprise for you about working on this production?

I'm not sure that I'd exactly call it a surprise, but absolutely hands down my favorite part of this experience is everyone else I'm working with. To be able to watch Roxanne, Ned and Spence work and learn from what I observe, let alone to work with them as a member of their ensemble is beyond an honor. I respect them all as artists and as humans, and love them now as friends or found family– though certainly not the kind of family the Connors are! It's also been so amazing to work with David; he's a brilliant director and he's so good at knowing how to both encourage and support you as well as to push you to do better than what you think is your best until you're doing what he knows is your best, and even growing beyond that. This is the hardest play I've ever worked on and I had doubts a fair few times in the most challenging parts of production where I panicked and thought oh God, what if I can't do this, what if they realize I don't have the ability to do this right? and now, I'm looking back on the rehearsal period and can't believe where I made myself go and how much I've pushed myself, and I wouldn't have been able to get from the first place to the second without David at the helm and my fellow ensemble members at my back.

There’s a lot of talk about gender identity and fluidity in the zeitgeist. What does HIR say that’s different? 

Through the character of Max, there's a subtle confrontation of the idea of "newness" and gender; specifically, there are a lot of moments where assumptions about the "phenomenon" of trans people are spoken right from the mouths of some of the characters: "Now, there are other genders!", "Now, there's a whole ALPHABET of genders!", "Now, etc. etc. ". This is a really common way of looking at the increased visibility of the trans community, particularly trans youth and kids. But this assumption is just that; we've always existed, and this isn't even the first time we've come out of the woodwork in droves. There is a place in history for us, and this is crucial because there's something comforting in a child being able to look back at the past and see a version of themself staring back. It makes you feel less alien, less, well, "new".I think HIR also shows that there's more than one way to be masculine, more than one way to be a man, and that toxicity and violence are absolutely not "natural" or non-negotiable aspects of those things.

Where else can fans see you after the (metaphorical) curtain falls on HIR? 

I'm still going to be in the Tampa Bay area looking for auditions or ways to help out, whether it's building sets or something else, so maybe in a Jobsite show or another local theatre company, fingers crossed!

Just for fun: If you could hack into anyone’s Twitter account, whose would it be and what would you Tweet?

I'd hack 45's. I'd make him tweet something like, "Ronald Reagan should be dug up and shot again!", or something. Just to see what happens. I know for a fact I wouldn't tweet "I RESIGN!" because the alternative is… not exactly terrific.

This article appears in Mar 8-15, 2018.