PHILADELPHIA, PA – In 1972, Dr. John Fryer dons an oversize tuxedo and rubber joke shop mask to become Dr. Henry Anonymous and confront the American Psychiatric Association with these words: “I am a homosexual, I am a psychiatrist.” Obie Award-winning writer and director Ain Gordon explores Fryer’s story in his new play, 217 Boxes of Dr. Henry Anonymous, running May 5 – 7 at the Painted Bride Art Center.

Gordon’s new play is the culmination of a two-year project, An Artist Embedded. Beginning in 2014, Gordon “embedded” himself in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s (HSP) collections, researching 217 boxes of journals, letters, photographs, and other materials from Dr. Fryer’s personal records.

217 Boxes of Dr. Henry Anonymous is co-production of Ain Gordon’s Pick Up Performance Co(s), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Painted Bride Art Center. Major support for An Artist Embedded has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

When: May 5, 6, & 7

Where: The Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Tickets:

• $15 for students and members of HSP (both groups should please select "HSP member" when purchasing tickets).
• $20 for general admission.
• All tickets are $15 on Opening Night (May 5).

To register, click here or visit hsp.org/calendar

About Ain Gordon
Ain Gordon is a three-time Obie Award-winning writer, director, and actor based in New York City. Gordon is also a two-time NYFA recipient and a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting. His work frequently deals with the interstices of history, focusing on people and events which are often overlooked or marginalized in "official" histories. Gordon’s work has received supported from Jerome, Greenwall, the NEA, NYSCA, AT&T, MAP (four times), ART NY, Mellon, Foundation for Contemporary Performance Art, and NPN among many others. Gordon is a former Core Writer of the Playwright’s Center (MN), was the inaugural Visiting Artist at the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (PA), and is an Artist-In-Residence at NYU Tisch School of The Arts and a Resident Artist at The Hermitage (FL). Gordon is Co-Founder of the Urban Memory Project and has been Co-Director of the Pick Up Performance Co(s) since 1992. aingordon.nyc

About An Artist Embedded
HSP collaborated with playwright & artist Ain Gordon to explore the intersections of history and contemporary life with the multi-year project, An Artist Embedded. Gordon has taken the traditional “artist in residence” model to the next level by becoming part of HSP’s programs development team over the past two years. Using HSP’s collections as source material and inspiration, Gordon has developed a new play driven by the thematic focus of “individual liberty versus national acceptance,” which explores the historical relevance of these subjects to contemporary issues. Throughout the research/creation process, HSP and Gordon have co-developed a series of public programs to engage audiences and incorporate their feedback into the act of historical interpretation. Major support for An Artist Embedded has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. hsp.org/aingordon

About The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is a provider of education and information for the people of Philadelphia and beyond. With over 21 million documents – including manuscripts, graphics, and ephemera – HSP serves more than 4,000 on-site researchers annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources online. HSP offers extensive online resources including digital collections, curricular materials, and hosts educator workshops, public programs and lectures throughout the year. HSP is also a chief center for the documentation and study of ethnic communities and immigrant experiences in the 20th-century, and one of the largest family history libraries in the nation. hsp.org

About The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. pcah.us