Don’t Be Afraid: Review of the Gettysburg Episode in the HBO Series “We’re Here”

The first episode of the HBO television series “We’re Here”, filmed in Gettysburg last summer, aired on April 23. The show features three iconic drag queens, Bob, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela Laquifa Wadley, who came to Gettysburg with the goal of staging a one-night-only drag show with the help of three local stars.

050920 1622 DontBeAfrai1

050920 1622 DontBeAfrai1

Sjrsten Siegfried

There’s a lot to unpack in this well-worth-it watch. I won’t give you a detailed synopsis of the plot because that would rob you of the turbulent and triumphant experience the episode delivers. And I don’t have space to adequately celebrate the local stars Hunter, Darryl, and Erica, nor the townsfolk I spotted in the show. Please forgive me for this, and know that I celebrate you all.

Instead, I’ll touch on a few moments that seemed remarkable to me as someone who’s been on stay-at-home orders for the past eight weeks.

Gettysburg is a small town, perhaps even smaller today than it was when made famous by the bloodiest three days of fighting on American soil in U.S. history. And Gettysburg has long maintained some mainstream values, especially those aimed at the preservation of the battlefield and keeping the lessons the Civil War taught our nation observably intact for future generations.

To say the least, the production of “We’re Here,” is rather progressive for this little town.

Bob, Eureka, and Shangela used their brief time in town to empower three locals that were in need of a little support.

Local drag-daughters in training, Hunter, Darryl, and Erica, each had their own compelling reasons for stepping on stage in glamorous attire bedecked in fabulous attitude. For Hunter, it was to gain greater expressive freedom within his family and to experience their true support. For Darryl, a chance to meaningfully walk in another’s shoes in order to forge a bond that would better express his own experiences as a black man in the community. For Erica, it was atonement with her estranged daughter, Hailey.

Their missions shared collective experiences of love and loss, of grief and hope.

We are all now facing indefinite stay-at-home orders in the wake of a deadly virus and many of us feel helpless in the face of the pandemic. Our staying home, as a collective species across the planet, is indeed an act of love.

Watching “We’re Here,” filmed less than a year prior to the days of social distancing, feels like another kind of love. It’s nice to see our town depicted as it should be right now—lively in the summertime. It almost eases the surreal homesickness that fills the air.

Many townspeople were excited for the airing of “We’re Here,” and I don’t think it disappointed. We watched from a safe distance and cheered our valiant townsfolk as they stepped out of their comfort zones and onto the stage. It felt altogether hopeful and satisfying when they are met with an ecstatic crowd beaming with applause when the curtain rises.

“We’re Here” was shot at many locations around Gettysburg including the Ragged Edge Coffee House, the rec park, the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop, Dirty Billy’s Hats, and the Community Theatre. The drag show was staged at the barn that now houses Battlefield Brew Works, an historic location used as Confederate hospital during the 1863 battle. The show does bring up the possible irreverence of using the venue, but it feels altogether normal and fine as the venue is a local favorite for live music.

The show’s campsite in the rec park was whimsical and proud, featuring their unique caravan.

The show was cut from many interviews with many local residents. Until last week no one knew which footage would be kept, or how it would have been altered to present a compelling narrative. Gettysburg is already “on the map,” so to speak—but would the show put us on the map for something more progressive than the infamous battle?

Would HBO highlight our burgeoning arts community and our thriving local restaurant scene? Would they highlight the battlefield that surrounds us, or the orchards and idyllic farmlands that encircle the National Park Service’s domain? Would we see crowds of college students or ghost tours populating the background? Asking these questions reminded me of all the things there are to love about our little Gettysburg.

In the end, “We’re Here” highlighted all of these things along with a story about our identity and the inequality faced by the LBGTQ+ community in small town America.

As they walked through town the cameras captured one display of the intolerance “We’re Here” sets itself up to combat.

The cast was uncertain until the moment the curtain rose about Gettysburg’s response to their work. “They won’t be screaming, they don’t go crazy in Gettysburg, they don’t get loud,” said Shangela.

But our town’s enthusiastic and progressive spirit surprised everyone. The outpouring of support from not only the contestants’ friends and family but also the town at large is testament enough that we’re part of something that is modernly meaningful.

There is a lot to look forward to when things “return to normal.” Until then, “We’re Here” gives us a nostalgic glance at some familiar haunts, as well as artful camera sweeps of bustling summer scenes down Baltimore Street and around the iconic Square.

“We’re Here: Episode 1” can be viewed on HBO or YouTube. Gettysburg is the first locale in the series’ set of six small town stories.

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