The Lavender Scare on Stage: Why the Groundbreaking Opera Fellow Travelers is the Must-See of the Season

Jan 19

Seattle, get ready to tap into some real, raw history with an emotionally charged love story. This February, Seattle Opera is kicking off the national tenth-anniversary tour of “Fellow Travelers” at McCaw Hall.

This isn't just any opera; it's a groundbreaking, critically-acclaimed work that dives deep into the devastating era of the Lavender Scare—the McCarthy-era witch hunt that tragically targeted thousands of gay and lesbian government employees. It’s a compelling human story about young, idealistic Timothy Laughlin and State Department official Hawkins Fuller, whose new-found love is threatened by the crushing force of homophobia and political fear.

The creators, composer Gregory Spears, librettist Greg Pierce, and stage director Kevin Newbury, are bringing a necessary conversation to the stage. They believe it’s vital to see characters like Tim and Hawk not just as historical victims, but as "ordinary people fighting through life" in an era where a public expression of love could cost them everything. This production preserves the dangerous counterpoint that so often defined the gay experience in the mid-20th century. This is about more than just music; it’s about standing on the shoulders of the people who fought and sacrificed for the rights we have today.

The impact extends far beyond the stage, too. The tour is partnering with the American LGBTQ+ Museum on the Lavender Names Project, a nationwide initiative to collect and share the stories of LGBTQ+ community members who faced job discrimination from the government. Photos from this archival research will actually be featured on stage at the end of each performance, turning the show into a living, breathing tribute.

Performance Details