In the chaotic early days of the AIDS crisis, progress is won inch by inch.
Even in the best of times, as we continue to learn, getting people to wake up to the realities of a devastating, deadly pandemic is an uphill battle. People, in general don’t want to acknowledge profound, unseen danger and be told that they need to change their behaviors to avoid getting themselves and others sick. But when it’s a marginalized community that’s mostly being affected, it’s a wonder that any help ever comes at all.
The Normal Heart is a play about AIDS where “AIDS” is never said; this is a show about the messy, confusing, terrifying, early days of the virus, when not only were there no answers to be had, but there was a decent chance that none would ever come. Larry Kramer’s play, directed at the Lakewood Playhouse by Joseph C. Walsh, is a fictionalized look at some of the people who were — by sheer force of will — responsible for pushing the wheels of progress forward at a time when no one wanted to acknowledge there was a problem.
At the center of the story is Ned Weeks (John Pedro), a writer and activist in New York City who finds himself screaming in the face of an apathetic, bigoted government when gay men start dying of a mysterious illness. Joining him on the quest for a solution are the free-spirited Mickey (Jason Sharp), successfully straight-passing Bruce (Darryin B. Cunningham), young and plucky Tommy (Ty Halton), world-weary Dr. Brookner (Gina D. Grosso), and reluctant Felix (Sergio Antonio Garcia).
There’s a lot of emotion roiling inside The Normal Heart — fury, fear, heartache — but there are no grandstanding heroics to be found. This is an uncommon depiction of process, of ground-level, shoe-leather activism, where there’s drama to be found in the arguments the group has over the language they choose to use in the newsletters they’re sending out. (How do they get across how serious the situation is without seeming like they’re scolding the gay community? Can they even use the word “gay” in their letterhead?) Our heroes here don’t march in the streets, but rather do the necessary work of banging their heads against the brick wall of ineffectual bureaucracy, even as the death toll steeply rises.
Just about every character gets their chance to shine with a monologue or two, and this production features some striking performances. In particular, Sharp is a showstopper in Mickey’s big scene, heartbreakingly coming to terms with the idea that all the advocacy he did for sexual liberation in the ’60s and ’70s will now be seen as having spurred on the AIDS crisis. Grosso, as the pragmatic, duty-bound doctor is a natural in what is apparently her first acting role since she was a child. Garcia, as Felix, imbues what could be the thankless role of the doting partner with a tenderness, vulnerability, and humor that shines amidst the darkness.
Lakewood Playhouse has, again, after their recent productions of The Laramie Project and For Colored Girls…, staged a show that remains infuriatingly relevant many decades after its debut. Whether you want to focus on the abandonment of vulnerable populations, or the labyrinthine madness of the health care system, or the distracting infighting amongst like-minded activists, or the callous politicians who value their image over their morals —The Normal Heart touches on problems that feel as modern as they are depressingly timeless. Far from wallowing in misery, though, this an invigorating reminder of the power people possess to affect change.
Photos courtesy Lakewood Playhouse.
WHAT:
The Normal Heart
WHEN:
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through March 8
WHERE:
Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood
COST:
$25-$31, “Pay What You Can” March 1
LEARN MORE:
lakewoodplayhouse.org
(253) 588-0042