One-On-One

Harrison David Rivers (He,Him,His)

Interviewed by: “Living in the Light” Columnist, Javannah Davis

BlaqueOut brings to center stage another riveting, and extraordinarily talented writer of both stage and screen; that was featured in our very own ImageOut film festival. Award winning writer Harrison David Rivers has written a variety of critically-acclaimed plays and films throughout his accomplished career. His work showcases his consummate and thought provoking talents as a writer. He has won such awards as the Relentless award in 2018, as well as Artist of the Year in 2018 by the Star Tribune, and 2017 Artist of the Year by City Pages. Harrison was reached out by an acquaintance he has who is affiliated with Rochester’s Geva Theatre to invite him to submit his works to be added to our famed ImageOut Festival line-up. I had the pleasure of corresponding with Harrison regarding his works, and getting to know him as the profound individual that he is.

Javannah: Tell us about who Harrison is? Where were you born/raised? When did you find your passion for writing?

Harrison: I am a Black male identified person who is attracted to other male identified people. I was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. I am a writer, primarily of plays, but I have recently begun to dabble in TV and film. I’ve always written on Post-its, napkins and, to the chagrin of my librarian grandmother, in the margins of books. I was a performer, first, but switched to writing after I developed crippling stage fright my senior year of college.

Javannah: As a successful writer, what are the challenges that go along with creating the lives and background of such distinct characters in your plays?

Harrison: Most of my plays are rooted in autobiography so sometimes the writing process can be painful. There’s the pain of revisiting a trauma and then there’s the pain of transposing that trauma onto a fictional character. But while the process may have moments of pain, ultimately, its a process that leads to healing.

Javannah: What’s the first hook that gets a new play started for you? Is it an image, a theme, a character? A life experience?

Harrison: Every play is different. Some begin with an image. Others with a line of dialogue. Sometimes a news story will trigger something. Or a piece of music. “we are continuous” was inspired by my relationship with my mother and my own HIV+ diagnosis story.

Javannah:. Class is sort of artificially invisible in this country, and often conflated with race. What is the significance of class on the characters, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior in the play?

Harrison: In many plays about Black families, money is the primary obstacle. A Raisin in the Sun, The Piano Lesson, to name two greats. Oftentimes, the families in these plays don’t have money. Or they don’t have enough of it. And the lack of resources and/or opportunities due to the lack of resources propels the narrative. Most of the families in my plays are middle class, which doesn’t mean that they have unlimited resources, but money, or access to resources due to the lack thereof, is usually not their primary concern. Race and sexuality are undeniable components of my plays, but they are usually not the narrative focus though they are often the catalyst for the narrative.

The family at the heart of ˜we are continuous” is Black, midwestern, middle class and Evangelical. The Mother’s struggle with her son’s sexuality is tied up in these identities, her class included.

Javannah: Do you write a certain amount of time each day, or a certain amount, like a chapter each day, or only when inspiration hits you?

Harrison: When I first started out, I wrote before and after work and on weekends whenever I had a free moment. Now that writing is my full time job, I spend most of my day, almost every day, writing. I split my time between various projects. The amount of time that I spend on a particular project depends largely on when its due to the commissioning institution or producer. Honestly, I wish that I had more time to write when inspiration hit. Right now, I make a note in my journal and hope that when I have the time to come back to it, it still resonates.

Javannah: Many, if not all of your plays highlight the lives of black and brown folks in the LGBTQ+ community. What is the overall message you try to convey with each play regarding the LGBTQ+ community? Do you see it as a form of activism?

Harrison: It’s funny, for the longest time I didn’t see my writing as activism. Which, I think is due to the fact that I’m a fairly shy person and I associated activism with a kind of boots on the ground boldness that I don’t attribute to myself. I thought that I was hiding behind my pen (successfully, even) when really my writing was having the opposite effect. My hope or¦ message, I guess, would be, I see you. Growing up, I so desperately wanted to see myself on stage, my story. And when I didn’t see it, I questioned its worth and honestly, my worth. I don’t want other Black and brown LGBTQ+ folks to feel that way, to question their worth, to question the value of their lives or their experiences. Our stories are rich and beautiful and WORTHY.

Javannah: Out of all of your accomplishments, what are you most proud of?

Harrison: I’m most proud of the relationships that I’ve built over the past fifteen years. The creative collaborations. The friendships.

Javannah: Tell us of how you were notified that one of your plays was going to be featured in Geva Theater’s Recognition Radio Festival?

Harrison: My dear friend, Pirronne Yousefzadeh, who is the Associate Artistic Director at Geva, asked me several months ago if I was working on anything new, and I mentioned “we are continuous”. She asked if she could read it and I said yes and sent her the play. Then she shared it with Jenni Werner, the Literary Director at Geva, and she emailed me about the Festival.

Javannah: Tell us what do you aspire your audience to walk away from your plays with?

Harrison: Hope. Always hope.