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Although gravely-voiced, Harvey Fierstein made his break through drag and is know for his flawless, humane interpretations of women, it is his writing that is his greatest accomplishment lye. Fierstein began his writing career while at Pratt University with In Search of the Cobra Jewels (1972), Freak Pussy (1974) and Flatbush Tosca (1975), all set in the drag world of New York and all unpublished, although the latter two were produced by the New York Theater Ensemble (Lawson).

.....Fierstein’s greatest accomplishment came with the compilation of The International Stud (1976), Fugue in the Nursery (1979) and Windows and Children First! (1979) into his trilogy The Torch Song Trilogy, which focuses on four people’s relationships with their sexuality and attitudes towards love and sex (Fisher). “The movement of the trilogy,” as Frances Gray of The International Dictionary of Theater said, “is towards the values of commitment and a reinterpreted ideal of the family, symbolized by the changing on-stage patterns created by the characters” (Gray).

.....The play first showed as a trilogy in 1981 at the Richard Allen Center and starred Fierstein himself as well as Mathew Broderick, Estelle Getty, Diane Tarleton, Paul Joynt and Hoe Grothers. The play later moved to Broadway it won numerous awards. Fierstein made history, winning the Tony for both Best Actor and Best Play for the same production (Fisher). In 1988, Torch Song was made into a movie where it received a number of awards. The trilogy was successful for many reasons, but as Gray said, “The success of Torch Song Trilogy is perhaps owed to the fact that it does not simply celebrate gay life, but the right of the individuals, straight or gay, to create the family unit in which that individuality can be expressed” (Gray). Charles Bush of Advocate credits Torch Song as “a theatrical phenomenon that defied all odds,” crediting it for challenging “both gay and straight audiences to champion an effeminate gay man’s longing for both love and family…at the height of the post-Stonewall clone era” (Busch). Torch Song was revolutionary for its time, according to Advocate’s Alonso Duralde, because it “championed the idea of gay marriage before it became the political goal it is today” (Duralde).

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.....Another of Fierstein’s great successes was for the six time, Tony award-winning book for the highly acclaimed musical La Cage aux Folles (1983), which ran 1,761 performances (Fisher). Fierstein wrote many other plays such as trilogy, Safe Sex (1987), which lasted just a week on Broadway and was called by many “underdeveloped and too intimate for Broadway,” though recognized for its focus on the current AIDS issue (Stein). Fiernstein told Glen Collins of the New York Times, “I was trying to come to terms with the situation, with AIDS…” and according to Riggs in Contemporary Theater, Film and Televsion, “reviewers did not ignore the message that homosexuality is a state of being and nothing to be ashamed of,” Fierstein’s ultimate goal with Sex (Riggs). Other credits include off-Broadway hit Spookhouse (1984), a dark comedy about a woman’s battle with a gay social worker, which also enjoyed a quick run, failing to make it big and criticized by The New Yorker’s Edith Oliver as “less a play than a cluster of monologues” (Rapp). Fierstein wrote other musicals such as Legs Diamond (1988) and one acts, such as Forget Him, that received little notice (Fisher).
.....One other work of Fierstein’s that did get recognition was his children’s book, The Sissy Duckling, which aired as a 45-mintue animated HBO program before its 2000 publication. According to Christopher Wheatley, in American Dramatists, “It was widely praised for its sensitive and humorous approach to explaining “the difference” to children (Fisher). In an interview with Publisher’s Weekly’s Nathalie De Beeck, Fierstein gave his reason for the twist on the classic fairly-tale.

“One of the reasons I chose “The Ugly Duckling” was that at the end, it’s not the duckling that changes. He’s just growing up. He always was a beautiful swan. And it’s the same thing in The Sissy Ducking. The world has to change, not Elmer. Elmer’s just fine.”
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.....Fierstein, in the midst of all his writing, acted in a number of popular television shows such as Cheers, The Simpsons, Murder, She Wrote, Ellen, and The Larry Sanders Show, not to mention played the first openly gay character in a short-lived CBS series Daddy’s Girls. He also showed in a few made-for television movies, including an adaptation of his own short play, On Tidy Endings, which won four ACE awards, including one for Fierstein’s writing. He also wrote a one-act screenplay, Common Ground, that was produced into a Showtime movie in 2000.

.....Fierstein has also acted in many mainstream movies, beginning with his narration of the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (1984). His list of movie credits is numerous, including his showing in the movie version of his own Torch Song Trilogy (1988). He played supporting roles in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Independence Day (1996), Death to Smoochy (2002), Duplex (2003), Superstar in a Housedress (2004),) not to mention voiced the character of Yao in Disney’s Mulan (1998). His work in film, not to mention roles in over 60 plays (Gray), including many popular Broadway musicals such as his as 711 performances as Edna Hairspray in 2002 (Rapp), as well as his current role as Teyve in Fiddler on the Roof, has really made Fierstein a face and voice America now recognizes (Fisher).
.....Fierstein’s work as a gay rights activist has made an undeniable impact on the gay community. In 1995, Fierstein was an interviewee in the acclaimed documentary, The Celluloid Closet. He was also a commentator for the television series In the Life in 1992, a series focusing on the hardships and challenges both the gay and straight community face when dealing with homosexuality. After Fierstein left Hairspray, he toured with a club act, entitled “This Is Not Going to Be Pretty”, which challenged and confronted many popular views on the rights and wrongs of sexuality in a funny and entertaining way that got peoples attention both at the show and those who heard the recording (Rapp).
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.....Fierstein is always making a speech here and contributing there, in an effort to further the gay cause. For example, in his final performance in Hairspray, he auctioned off two tickets to benefit the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. He often makes speeches about safe sex and encourages AIDS research. In 1998, Fierstein made a heated speech against homophobia after the violent murder of Matthew Shepard, calling “upon glbtq people to be visible and active—to speak out, to vote, and to boycott—to work towards an end to bigotry” as GLBTQ author, Linda Rapp said. According to her, “He has long been a vocal and outspoken champion of glbtq rights.
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.....Fierstein, as an openly gay, famous, gravel-voice, is never far from the public eye, constantly encouraging understanding and acceptance. In 2003, Fierstein appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in drag, as Edna Turnblad dressed as Santa Claus in support of an article he wrote for the New York Times, questioning whether people would be able to accept someone as beloved as Santa if he turned out to be gay.

.....Fierstein’s choices as both an actor, writer, activist and person are always backed up by his strong values and hope for the gay community. Fierstein turned down the role of a clown-eating child in Stephen King’s It, refusing to “provide fuel for people who unjustly portray gay men as preying on children” (Rapp). Fierstein’s work, on stage, camera and page always “affirms personal dignity and encourage(s) people to take pride in who they are and to respect other who may be different. (Rapp)” Fierstein seems to have an agenda greater than fame and fortune, using his popularity and resources for a greater cause and for that, his impact and influence are profound.

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