Playwright Larry Kramer wants AIDS recognized and treated as the plague that it is. And he wants everyone to know that it's still very much out there. Theatrical Tendencies takes up the cause this month with a production of Kramer's A Normal Heart. A drama of overwhelmingly irresistible gravity and clever complexity, A Normal Heart tells the story of the beginning of the AIDS outbreak in the early '80s and the struggles of those affected by it.
The play debuted in New York in '85 and has recently seen a Broadway revival that has met with considerable acclaim. It's very real and very autobiographical, but there's a profound sense of allegory about it. On one level, it's a drama very much about a specific moment in time and the plague which continues to haunt the world in the 21st century. But on another level altogether, this is a story about how modern society handles serious, insanely difficult problems and all the problems standing in the way of any meaningful solution. If modern society continues to survive into the next couple of centuries, it's hard to imagine Kramer's Normal Heart not recognized as one of the single most important theatrical dramas to come out of the 1980s. It's very real, very gripping and unbelievably intense.
Thankfully, Director Mark E. Schuster has brought the drama to life quite fluidly, thanks in large part to a very good ensemble. Mark R. Neufang channels a heartbreakingly real world-weary fatigue in the role of Ned Weeks--a man who is fighting to get the disease recognized as a serious problem in the early 1980s. Joel Marinan is compellingly conflicted as a gay activist who has difficulty dealing with the implications of AIDS in contrast to the open ideals of early gay rights activism. Marty L. McNamee wields considerable pops in the role of the handsome uber-professional executive suffering from the dichotomy of wanting to be help out with the cause while simultaneously wanting to be firmly planted in the closet. James Nathan brings compelling compassion to the dynamic that rests halfway between the conservatism of McNamee's character and the revolutionary aggression of Neufang's character.
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There is a tragic romantic end of the drama. Brian M. Firkus carries much of this in the role of a romantic interest. It's a delicate portrayal that finds him developing believable chemistry with Neufang early-on. The play progresses and he has to switch gears into something much more tragic and he does an excellent job of that as well.
It's nice to see this classic '80s stage drama finally brought out in a local production. That it's a compelling production that has an intense emotional gravity about it is kind of a huge relief. It's nice to see it resonate onstage so well.
Theatrical Tendencies' production of The Normal Heart runs through April 20th at the Soulstice Theatre's Tamsett Theatre on 3770 South Pennsylvania Avenue. For ticket reservations, visit Theatrical Tendencies online.