The character of James was inspired by the men of the
Golden 13 and Eddie, the neighbor, by Leight's uncle. The show, whose first scene was written as part of a benefit event in 1998 and had an original run under the name
James and Annie in 2003, had readings in 2011 and 2018 before a
Twitter inquiry brought fresh eyes to it. It made its
West Coast premiere in January 2023 at the Victory Theater Center in
Burbank, California, with
Austin Highsmith Garces as Annie, C.J. Lindsey as James and
Jonathan Slavin as their
gay neighbor. The show's set design was by Evan Bartoletti, sound design by Noah Andrade, and costume design by Carin Jacobs. The run was extended through February 26, 2023. ==References==