  The SMC represents an exciting opportunity to observe the direct results of
tidal interactions on star birth. One of the best indicators of recent star
birth activity is the presence of signicant numbers of High-Mass X-ray Binaries
(HMXBs) - and the SMC has them in abundance! We present results from nearly 10
years of monitoring these systems plus a wealth of other ground-based optical
data. Together they permit us to build a picture of a galaxy with a mass of
only a few percent of the Milky Way but with a more extensive HMXB population.
However, as often happens, new discoveries lead to some challenging puzzles -
where are the other X-ray binaries (eg black hole systems) in the SMC? And why
do virtually all the SMC HMXBs have Be starcompanions? The evidence arising
from these extensive optical observations for this apparently unusual stellar
evolution are discussed.
