FringeHIGH Artist Profile: Thomas Hodges, Composer
Meet Thomas Hodges
Thomas Hodges, the 21 year-old composer of Dear Harvey, a collection of stories about gay activist Harvey Milk, wrote the music for the Dear Harvey premiere at the age of 19.
A San Diego State University alum, he composed for the school’s productions of The Glass Menagerie, Jungle Book, The Good Person of Szechuan, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Check out Thomas’ first cast album, West Coast Laments (available on iTunes). He is currently composing an original song cycle, A Room Full of Strangers.
The Stats
What’s next on your Netflix queue?
I don’t have Netflix, but if I DID… the third season of DEXTER.
What’s playing on your iPod right now?
I don’t have an ipod but in my cd player is TORI AMOS: BOYS FOR PELE.
Last good book you read was…
Wuthering Heights
Favorite restaurant in the city?
Cafe Lalo
All-time favorite piece of theater?
Merrily We Roll Along
Why Thomas Loves Fringe and the Arts
What’s the best thing about the Fringe Festival?
I’ve never been to the Fringe but from what I’ve read it seems like an amazing opportunity to see a lot of different theatre that is up and coming from all over. It’s a chance to see shows that you wouldn’t otherwise get to see. I think festivals like this are very important especially since today theatre isn’t as accessible as Movies.
What’s the #1 reason people should come see your show?
I’ve seen this show change lives, including mine. We grow up in a school system that does not actively teach LGBTQQIA history and in many cases does not even recognize that there is a civil rights struggle. I came out of high school without any knowledge about my history or the current progress made in the Queer Movement, this left me defenseless as a voter. In cases like mine where you can not actively research your history at home for various reasons we needs schools to show us that there is hope. We need role models like Harvey Milk. The beauty of this show is that it’s so personal to everyone interviewed and everyone watching. I’ve seen people come out after this show (a mormon boy in Utah), I’ve seen parents switch from being Yes on Prop 8, to suddenly supporting Gay Marriage (a devout Catholic couple)… I’ve seen apathetic students turn into activists. It’s a show that makes you want to be better, and shows you that you can.
Do you have any Opening Night rituals?
I have socks that I wear that have my name (Thomas) in many different languages, a piano student gave them to me. I say they are lucky… and they are cute!
What’s the craziest performance conditions you’ve had to work under?
This show has been taken on the road many times, but every performance has been successful. At one point our keyboard went out in the middle of me playing it. That was terrifying, but as usual the show must go on. And it did.
How did you get involved in the arts?
I saw my brother in “Once Upon a Mattress” when he was a freshman in high school, I was in awe and so I decided I wanted to do that. I started in the arts with Acting and then found that I needed to write songs.
Learn more at the FringeHIGH webpage and buy your tickets to Dear Harvey today!
