Gale Harold in Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending"

Tennessee Williams' play "Orpheus Descending" is a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus set in a small southern town in the 1950s. This week, a production of the play starring Gale Harold opens up at Theatre/Theater in Los Angeles.

Harold, known for his performance in the role of Brian on Showtime's "Queer as Folk," plays the lead role of Val Xavier. Val is a guitar playing drifter, who meets Lady Torrance (Denise Crosby), a shopkeeper. Both are looking for a chance to make change in their lives. "They find out that they come from the same place spiritually and emotionally," Harold says.

In the show, Harold sings and plays guitar, something he confesses makes him a bit nervous to do onstage. But for Val, music is a real passion, Harold says. "It's all that he lives for... but just to survive, he's come up with some interesting ways to get paid that wasn't just singing and playing."

To find out what Harold means by that, you can check out "Orpheus Descending" at Theatre/Theater. The show runs through February 21st.

And if you'd like to hear how growing up in the South helped Harold prepare for the role and the oddest non-acting job he's ever worked, listen to his interview with KPCC's Alex Cohen.