So was J. Edgar Hoover really a cross-dresser?
There’s little or no hard evidence to support that, admits local playwright Don Fried. But one thing’s for sure: The disgraced head of the FBI, the man found to have grossly abused his power by employing illegal surveillance tactics, might have been.
“And that’s just a surefire excuse for comedy,” said Fried, who wrote one of the nine short comic playlets that make up Theatre Company of Lafayette’s new “G-Men in G-Strings: The J. Edgar Hoover Follies.”
It’s the latest in a series of themed new-play festivals pioneered by artistic director Madge Montgomery, who has given similar treatment to topics such as Sputnik, Frankenstein and Wayne Newton. An evening exploring the shared birthday of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin was the second-highest-attended play in the company’s history.
With “G-Men,” the tiny Theatre Company of Lafayette has now presented 27 new plays (five of them full- length) in just the past 25 months. “G-Men” drew 125 submissions from as far away as Israel.
We caught up with Fried for a few questions about G-men . . . and G-strings.
Q: Has Hoover taken too much grief for his possible cross-dressing, and not enough credit for the innovations he brought to law enforcement?
A: The whole (rumor) may be due to his being such a powerful, secretive figure. We Americans love conspiracy theories, and we love to poke fun at famous people by portraying them as (dallying in) the very deviations they protest most strongly against. I think most of us manage to keep separate the comic element and the impressive accomplishments of the man.
Q: Do you think the revelation of his abuse of power is in some way responsible for the continuing erosion in public trust in law enforcement?
A: I believe it’s one of a long series of factors that have contributed to the erosion. When I was 15, I was visiting some neighbors — two liberal middle- aged college professors — when two FBI agents came to their house to question them about some of their work colleagues. The professors refused to answer their questions and more or less kicked them out of the house. At the time I was appalled at their lack of “patriotism.” A few months later, FBI agents came to my house and questioned my parents about the professors. It was the beginning of a process of growing skepticism that has lasted 40 years.
Q: So what if he was a cross-dresser? Compared to his real crimes, is that so bad?
A: No, it’s absolutely not so bad. We just love to poke fun at famous people; the more secretive, powerful, and idiosyncratic, the better. Hoover was certainly all of those three. But if someone protests strenuously against some particular form of “sin,” it’s hilarious to imagine them as being secretly an avid participant.
Q: Do these short plays expand into other areas?
A: Though silliness abounds, it is the abuse of power, invasion of privacy and hypocrisy that are the dominant themes in the production.
Q: New plays are a tough sell anywhere. How is it that yours are being received so well?
A: We’ve developed an audience that trusts us to produce fun and often thought-provoking new work. But this is far from just a labor of love. Every one of our new plays and new- play festivals for the past couple of years has had high enough attendance to be profitable.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“G-Men in G-Strings: The J. Edgar Hoover Follies”
Nine short, original comedies. Theatre Company of Lafayette, Mary Miller Theatre, 300 E. Simpson St. Through Aug. 7. 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and Aug. 5; 6 p.m. Aug. 1. $10-$12. 720-209-2154 or
