Interview: Writer/Director Howard Skora of TEXAS SODOMY: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF LAWRENCE V. TEXAS

Texas Sodomy: The Incredible True Story of Lawrence v. Texas is a world premiere play written and directed by Howard Skora that will play the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks September 10–October 24. The cast features Drew Droege along with (in alphabetical order) Jabari, Matt McConkey, Celeste Pechous, Aaron Tone, Tom Trudgeon, and Dylan Vox. Scott Victor Nelson is principal cover, with Deonte Marcel as the alternate for the role of Tyron Garner.

The real-life events featured in Skora’s play took place in Houston, 1998, when two ordinary working-class men, John Lawrence and Tyron Garner, were arrested under Texas’s ‘Homosexual Conduct’ law; and what begins as a drunken arrest grows into a constitutional battle leading to a landmark 2003 Supreme Court decision.

I spoke with Howard Skora (pictured) about his decision to write about the human story behind one of the most important civil rights decisions in modern American history, his vision for directing its world premiere production, and why the story is an important one to bring to audiences right now. Here’s what he shared with me.

Texas Sodomy is described as a blend of sharp comedy, gripping drama, and intimate character study. How did you find humor in a situation that was fundamentally a terrifying, unfair legal ordeal for John Lawrence and Tyron Garner?

Once you read Chapter 21, Section 21.06 of the Texas Penal Code, it’s hard not to see the absurdity of the situation. There was a law on the books that made sex illegal only for gay people. The absurdity of being in a jail arraignment and having to plead guilty to that is the first scene of the play, and it gets big laughs because everyone can see how ridiculous it is. I’m in no way trying to disrespect the story of John and Tyron. The humor comes from the absurdity of what was happening to them. These men were heroes, and this play celebrates them after showing the five years of hell they went through.

Aaron Tone
All production photos by Dusti Cunningham

The real-life history of Lawrence v. Texas is filled with messy, human complexities, especially since the two men weren't a committed couple and the arrest stemmed from a completely fabricated weapons tip. How much did you lean into the historical eccentricities versus dramatic liberties?

I stayed with the facts as much as I could. It was essential to tell the true story accurately, so I leaned into the historical eccentricities. Almost everyone I interviewed who was connected to the case said John and Tyron maintained that they never had sex, and that was an essential part of the story. Almost all of the other major dramatic turns come directly from the real story. That being said, I condensed timelines, combined events, and created composite characters from some of the lawyers. Since it’s a Howard Skora play, I may have made John, Tyron, and some of the other characters a little more irreverent and sharp-tongued than they were in real life. But the essential facts come directly from the historical and legal record. That was very important to me.

Celeste Pechous, Matt McConkey

What was the most challenging sequence of the landmark case to translate into compelling, theatrical dialogue?

The play is John and Tyron’s story, so all the legal maneuvering is really about how it affects their lives. The real John and Tyron had to endure five years of court after court in Texas, overturning and then re-criminalizing their convictions. The Supreme Court hearing was probably the most challenging. We use the actual voices of some of the justices, with Aaron Tone, playing Paul Smith—the man who argued the case before SCOTUS—reacting to them in real time. The hardest part was finding moments from the real case that were both dramatic and theatrical. We found them. Scalia said some extraordinary things, and the audience gets a huge laugh from one of his actual analogies about sexual intimacy.

Celeste Pechous

As both the playwright and the director, how do you know when to take off your "writer hat" and put on your "director hat" during rehearsals?

Once I start directing, my basic approach is: screw the writer. I cut whatever I need to make the work as brief and effective as possible. Once we’re in rehearsal, I’m not interested in protecting every word just because I wrote it. I’m interested in what makes the play work better. My actors keep me in check too. The best idea wins. I only push back if I think we’re losing something important. I’m not precious about my words; I just want the scenes to work. 

Drew Droege, Jabari

Drew Droege stars as John Lawrence. What did Drew bring to this working-class Houston character that surprised you, shifted your perspective on the role, or caused you to rewrite scenes during rehearsals?

People obviously know how funny Drew is, but what has been so exciting for me is the vulnerability and emotional depth he brings to John. John Lawrence was not trying to become a civil-rights hero. He was a private man who suddenly became part of something much bigger than himself. Drew really understands that. He is brilliant and devastating in this role. I think people will see that Drew is not only a comedic genius but also a powerhouse dramatic actor. This is astounding work that will change how people see Drew Droege.

Jabari, Matt McConkey, Drew Droege

Lane Lewis portrays a crucial figure in the play as the Houston activist and bartender who became the two men’s protector. How did you approach writing his character to show the intersection of local queer culture and national civil rights legal strategy?

Well, that was easy because I could just text or call the real Lane in Houston and get an answer. I first messaged Lane on Facebook in 2022, told him how grateful I was, and asked if he would talk to me. That led to years of interviews and phone calls. He’s flying out from Houston to see the show next month. 

Lane recognized very quickly that what happened to John and Tyron was bigger than one arrest. He connected them with Mitchell Katine, who brought Lambda Legal into the fight. So Lane is really the bridge between what happened to these two men in Houston and the much larger constitutional case that followed.

That intersection between local queer culture and civil rights is built into the production too. The courtroom and the bar use the same piece of furniture—we literally go from the gay bar to the legal bar. One of the play’s themes is that we are the cause. Gay civil rights are tied to action inside the community.

Dylan Vox, Drew Droege, Jabari, Tom Trudgeon, Matt McConkey, Celeste Pechous, Aaron Tone

Aaron Tone plays multiple real-life cops and lawyers involved in the case. How did you guide him directorially to ensure these opposing systemic figures didn't just feel like flat villains, but real human parts of that 1998 Texas environment?

Aaron actually plays mostly the good guys, as well as the cop who arrested the men, so he gets to move between very different sides of the story. My favorite scene with Aaron is when he plays Paul M. Smith, the man who argued Lawrence v. Texas at SCOTUS. He brilliantly choreographs his interaction with the real voices of Scalia and Ginsburg. The scene is incredibly powerful.

Officer Quinn. who Aaron also plays, was a very by-the-book cop who clearly used his power when he felt disrespected. John was outraged and cursed out the cops when they busted down his door, and I’m sure that contributed to Quinn using this old law against them after responding to what turned out to be a false weapons disturbance. Aaron’s job was to make each of those people specific and human—and boy, does he do that.

Jabari, Drew Droege

The events of the play happen in 1998, leading to the landmark 2003 Supreme Court decision. Why do you feel it is imperative for Los Angeles theater audiences to revisit this specific story right now?

The tagline of the play is #KNOWYOURHISTORY.

The reason I wrote this play was because of the Dobbs decision. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Clarence Thomas wrote that the Court should reconsider other substantive due process precedents, including Lawrence. The next day, I decided to write this play. What really struck me was how few people—especially LGBTQ+ people—knew the Lawrence v. Texas story. That really bothered me. Gay rights can never be taken for granted. I want people to understand how recently these rights were won and who fought for them.

Drew Droege

Given recent, ongoing legal discussions regarding the right to privacy and older anti-sodomy statutes, do you view Texas Sodomy strictly as a historical period piece, or as a cautionary, living mirror to our current political climate? How so?

Howard: Absolutely both. It is a historical piece because I wanted to tell the story of what actually happened. But it is impossible to tell this story now without seeing how relevant it still is. The questions of privacy, government intrusion, bodily autonomy, and who gets to decide what people do in their private lives are still very much alive. That’s why knowing the history matters.

Considering Lawrence and Garner never set out to become civil rights icons, what do you hope audiences take away about the "accidental" nature of activism?

True heroes are not perfect people. John and Tyron both had troubled pasts, struggles with alcohol, and long records with the police. Like a lot of gay men from that time, they had complicated lives and had learned to keep parts of themselves private. They did not set out to become activists or decide they wanted to change history. Something happened to them, and then other people recognized what it meant. That is what I find so moving about the story. You do not have to be a perfect person to become part of something extraordinary. John and Tyron risked their entire lives and publicly outed themselves for a cause greater than themselves.

Matt McConkey, Drew Droege, Jabari

Tell me about how you worked with your creative team to bring your physical vision of the play to the stage. (Scenic design by Dusti Cunningham, lighting and sound designs by Mitch Rosander, costume design by Ben Phen and Aaron Mendoza, and projection design by John Knowles.) And is this the same team who collaborated with you on Freud on Cocaine, which you also premiered at the Whitefire?

They all help create the world of the play. Dusti has worked on all my plays and created everything from the clown environment for Miserable with an Ocean View, to the infamous “Versace Recliner” for Damaged Furniture, the gothic furnishings of Gaslight House, the Scarface-meets-Victorian world of Freud on Cocaine, and now the bar-to-the-courtroom world of Texas Sodomy. Dusti can find anything on Facebook Marketplace in about ten seconds.

John Knowles is a friend and a brilliant editor and filmmaker. He has done incredible work with the projections, including splicing Drew and Jabari into 1990s-style news footage. It’s genius.

Mitch Rosander has been absolutely essential. In addition to serving as our Assistant Director and Stage Manager, he created the lighting and sound designs and helped make all the technical elements of a complicated show work together. Mitch is my right arm and this is the 3rd play he has collaborated with me on.  I am so grateful for him. 

Our costume designers, Ben Phen and Aaron Mendoza, are friends of Drew and mine. They bring their carefully curated clothing pop-ups to queer events throughout Los Angeles, including Hot Dog, and Drew and I realized they were perfect to create these very specific 1990s looks and they did such beautiful work. 

It took all of them working together to create the world of the play.

Jabari, Aaron Tone, Celeste Pechous

Anything else you would like to add about yourself or the production?

Just please come. It’s some of the best work we have done, and I’m incredibly grateful. My ultimate hope is that this play goes all over the nation. I spent years researching this case and had the opportunity to speak with Lane Lewis, Mitchell Katine, Suzanne Goldberg, Paul M. Smith, and others connected to the case. They were incredibly generous with me. Then I got to watch these seven actors bring these people and this history to life. They have been a dream cast and have approached the story with love, respect, and reverence.

I hope people come and learn the story. I hope they laugh. I hope they are moved. And I hope they leave knowing the history and understanding that the rights we have now were fought for by real people.

Thanks so much!

The world premiere of TEXAS SODOMY: The Incredible True Story of Lawrence v. Texas, written and directed by Howard Skora, takes place at the Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Venture Blvd. in Sherman Oaks 91423 with previews on Thursday 9/10 & Friday 9/11 at 8pm, opening Saturday 9/12 at 8pm, and continuing on Friday & Saturday at 8pm through October 24, with Sundays shows on 9/20 & 9/27 at 7pm, & Sundays 10/4, 10/11, and 10/18 at 2pm.