I am absolutely stunned by what we experienced together, cast and audience, in that tiny intimate space known as the Art Square Theatre. Performances like tonight are exactly why I LOVE the theatre. It entertains, educates, and enriches our lives.
I was born in the early 80's when the HIV/AIDS crisis emerged. Being so young at that time, I obviously didn't live through the nightmare that gay men experienced when their friends and lovers began to die in drastic numbers by an unknown cause. No one knew what HIV/AIDS was, how it was contracted, how it was prevented, or how to diagnose it. The government chose to ignore the crisis since it was widely considered a "gay plague." It was a very dark and terrifying time following the Gay Liberation movement that exploded after Stonewall.
Larry Kramer, a writer and gay activist living in New York City, wrote this as an autobiographical play. He was very ANGRY during this period, 1981-1984, when their voices were ignored, when time was quickly running out for those around him and medical assistance from the government was no where in sight. He was very passionate, yet abrasive and confrontational. He knew that coasting under the radar was not going to warrant attention. He strongly believed that yelling and creating a scene was the only way their efforts would be recognized. That anger and passion is channeled through the character of Ned Weeks.
The play explores the arguments and conflicting ideas about how to fight and advocate for the gay community, save lives during a time when tolerance was still nonexistent and serious medical attention was needed. Being openly gay was not widely accepted and men still feared losing their jobs. It explores intense and raw human emotions when the stakes were highest - life and death clouded with uncertainty.
Stepping into that theatre tonight was like stepping back in time and witnessing that nightmare through the eyes of these men, friends, and lovers. The courageous actors gave everything they had and lived in the moment. Those scenes truly felt as though watching real life happen before my eyes rather than watching a performance.
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| The cast of NORMAL HEART led by Ernie Curcio. |
So many arguments with profound statements, so much anger and anxiety, I felt all of it. I was appalled when a character described his lover's death, admitting that the hospital staff discarded the dead body into the garbage dumpster because the man had died of AIDS. I was terrified during a lover's quarrel that exploded as the result of loving someone when they've given up and resisted the will to live. I was heartbroken when a couple resolved to having their commitment ceremony while one of them laid on their death bed.
I can't imagine a dry eye in that entire theatre as we shared this experience. The energy around me was so profound. By the end, we knew that we had all experienced something human, something unforgettable, an emotional journey which had impacted most of us in heavier ways than we anticipated.
The fight against HIV/AIDS is not over. This play serves as a reflection of its terrifying beginning, the courageous men who first advocated to bring awareness, and the many lives that were lost. As dramatic literature, Larry Kramer's THE NORMAL HEART is a masterpiece!
To all my friends reading this post, please don't miss this powerful and important play. Performances continue September 14, 18, 19, 20, 21 @ 8pm and September 15, 22 @ 2pm. www.poorrichardsplayers.com
Grade: A+
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