“The actor accepts the challenge of playing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. In 55 minutes, the actor will take us on an unusual journey, from colonial Brazil to Harvey’s assassination in 1978. During this time, they will attempt to prove their theory about the assassination.”
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Michelle Ferreira
I Am Not Harvey, the challenge of swapping heads is a contemporary solo performance that explores queer identity, political memory, and the burden of becoming a symbol and a target into a society through narrative storytelling, dramatical scenes and documentary theater. Inspired by the legacy of the North-American Harvey Milk (* 1930; † 1978), the comedy work asks a reflection about the meanings of death and justice in dialogue with a Brazilian queer perspective. The performance moves between confession, irony, historical fragments in direct dialogue and dynamic connection with the audience.
Length 55' minutes
Language English
This theater play carries 16+ age rating
Michelle Ferreira (she/her) is an actress, director, screenwriter, and playwright with an international career and thirteen staged plays. She graduated from the Escola de Arte Dramática da USP (EAD-USP) and was a member for eight years of the Playwriting Center at the Centro de Pesquisa Teatral, led by Antunes Filho. Twice a finalist for the Prêmio Luso-Brasileiro de Dramaturgia with Reality Final (2009) and Tem alguém que nos odeia (2011), She is currently touring Brazil with Bárbara, starring Marisa Orth and directed by Bruno Guida. She wrote the TV Brasil series Entre o Céu e a Terra and co-created Não foi minha culpa for Star+, directed by Suzana Lira. In film, she wrote Amor sem Medida, starring Leandro Hassoum and Juliana Paes, directed by Alê Machado for Netflix. She also co-wrote the horror film O porão da rua do Grito, which premiered at the Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo (2023). She wrote A última entrevista de Marília Gabriela, starring Marília Gabriela and Theodoro Cochrane, and directs Helga Nemetik in the solo show Não conta pra ninguém. She is now one the writers of the acclaimed Brazilian series Tremembé from HBO Brasil.
In tribute to Harvey Milk and all queer activists.
THE AUTHOR
Gustavo Gusmão (they/them) is a non-binary actor, producer, and lighting and sound technician from Brazil, based in Berlin. Since 2024, Gustavo has collaborated with the Brazilian drag collective BRag Kultur in Berlin as an assistant director for stage and film. They hold a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR) and completed training in Applied Theatre Techniques at Núcleo Experimental de Artes Cênicas SESI-SP in São Paulo. With over a decade of experience, their career includes award-winning performances such as Antes do Amanhecer, Paisagem em Campos do Jordão, and Salomé, as well as the ongoing project I Am Not Harvey. As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Gustavo’s artistic practice is grounded in collaboration, diversity, and the creation of spaces for visibility and expression.
THE ACTOR / DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
HARVEY MILK was an American politician and activist who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. In 1977, he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, giving queer communities a public voice at a time when visibility could be dangerous. Born in 1930 in New York, Milk served in the U.S. Navy before moving to San Francisco, where he became a community organizer in the Castro District. He fought for civil rights, affordable housing, and protections against discrimination. In 1978, he was assassinated at San Francisco City Hall. His life became a symbol of courage, political awakening, and the insistence that queer lives belong in the halls of power.
(1) Theme: LGBTQIA+ International History; Human Rights;
(2) Production Concept/Implementation Ideas: The narrative unfolds from a Latin American perspective and is presented as a mosaic. The author weaves together images and ideas that trace the early stages of Harvey Milk’s political career, his election, and his assassination. The text sparks profound reflection on death, yet everything is presented with a frenetic sense of humor. What we see on stage is a funny profusion of different characters that invite us to reflect on death, while simultaneously reinforcing the ideals of a more connected and just society. It is a tribute to community leaders who, like Harvey, changed not only the history of their cities, but also the history of global democracy.
(3) Theatrical Format: Monologue;
(4) Genre: tragicomedy;
(5) Duration: 55’’
(6) Age rating: +16
(7) Language: English;
(8) Festivals: Queere Aktionswoche, Berlin-GER 2026;
(9) Theater sessions: Kotti, Nachbarschafts- und Gemeinwesenverein Familiengarten, July 2026;
(10) Production location: Berlin, Germany;
“I think Harvey is all about the challenge of swapping heads without swapping your own head. It’s a game of in and out, which gets more intense until it’s like a hallucination. Starting off slowly, like you said you did, is definitely the right move. The audience understands the process and has time to enjoy it, until the pace picks up and it turns into a roller coaster ride. (…) But it only has that effect because the actor is fully present and aware that the heads/bodies each have their own distinct characteristics. If the actor masters that, the play comes together. I know you made it happen. And this is just the beginning of a beautiful journey. Go for it, my friend.”
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Michelle Ferreira
“I had to bring a bit of water into the scene to play Michelle’s “swapped heads” game. This is a piece that demands a lot of attention, rhythm, and balance. The various characters I play gradually come into the game until they alternate at a frenetic pace. It’s like performing a programmed, choreographed juggling act. It’s a performance where the work with the text takes center stage. Therefore, there had to be a great deal of rigor and meticulous work in shaping each image, each idea, each rhythm, and each pulse of the characters.”
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Gustavo Gusmão
HARVEY MILK’s importance to the community is clear. I can imagine him walking through the hills of San Francisco, talking, persuading, engaging people. He saw himself as part of a movement.
I miss the days when a city could still fit within a city. Harvey dreamed of a better city for everyone. For everyone, with all their specificities and differences. And wouldn’t that be a utopia wild enough to get involved in? And what is justice today?
Bringing such an iconic figure as Harvey Milk to the stage is a wonderful honor. Michelle Ferreira’s script is breathtaking. And the whole delightful challenge of directing myself has taught me a lot about the art of acting and, above all, about why I love telling a good story so much. What a journey.