BY YAYOI LENA WINFREY for WEEKLY VOLCANO 2/20/26 |
Anyone who was alive and aware in 1981 remembers the AIDS epidemic that began spreading panic worldwide. As with COVID, little information was initially known about the disease. But unlike COVID, no one seemed to care because AIDS victims were primarily gay men at the time.
On February 20, Lakewood Playhouse presents “The Normal Heart,” Larry Kramer’s Tony Award-winning play based on his experiences founding the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City. The story is framed around the fictional Ned Weeks, who becomes an unwilling but fierce activist, much like Kramer was, on behalf of gay men stricken by AIDS. Artistic Director Joseph Walsh, who has been with Lakewood Playhouse for just over two years, says “The Normal Heart” was not initially on the season’s schedule but was added because “it did not feel like we were living our mission and answering the moment we are living in.”
“As a country, we are in crisis, and now is not the time to be polite,” he explains, “The history of theatre is political, and now is the time for artists and theatres to take a stand and to tell stories that are being erased by our current administration.”
While Walsh has always been interested in theatre, two pivotal moments convinced him to pursue it as a career: seeing “Peter Pan” with Cathy Rigby when he was eight and watching his brother in a high school production of “Man of La Mancha.”
Recalling how he felt the first time he walked inside Lakewood Playhouse, Walsh says, “the word that came to mind was ‘possibility.’ This place had so much potential,” he remembers,“However, what truly makes it special is the people. We take building community seriously and are willing to do the work to create a safer, braver, and more equitable space for all members of our community.”
Indeed, Lakewood Playhouse’s motto is “Building Community Through Theatre.”
“We want to be a connector,” Walsh clarifies, “a builder, a safer and braver space for our community to gather and share stories. We aim to present work that entertains, educates, and enlightens the full breadth of the human experience,” he adds,“We strive to foster an atmosphere of respect and belonging for all and create a space where everyone is seen, heard, uplifted, and empowered.”
For actor John Pedro, who stars as Ned Weeks, the topic of AIDS 40-plus years later is still relevant today. “I think it’s important to talk about the AIDS crisis within the context of today,” he says. In his opinion, AIDS remains a taboo subject because of its relationship to sex.
“I think the core of this issue comes from the fact that sex has always been determined as the ‘forbidden act,’ especially with the weaponization of puritan ideals in the political scene today,” says Pedro, “So much of how we feel about the deeper intimacy of love is never talked about because we still deem it dirty, and it’s this mindset that cost so many within the gay community their lives from the 1980s until now.” He adds, “Even the thought of a queer identity, be it trans, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and so on, being deemed as ‘sick’ or ‘other’ is still the leading mindset in some of these spaces.”
Darryin Cunningham plays the fictional character Bruce Niles, a closeted Wall Street investor who becomes involved with Ned Weeks’ AIDS organization. “For me, it has been so challenging because I struggle with some of his ideology while also understanding the psychology of why he is that way,” Cunningham says about his character’s reluctance to come out. “There is a certain cowardice about Bruce, and we can’t shy away from it, so it’s beautiful because it’s tragic,” he explains, “but it’s also real, and it breaks my heart a little. But I do believe he is redeemable, and I understand his life.”
Gina Grosso, who plays Dr. Emma Brookner, says she was moved by the real-life physician on whom the character is based. “I am inspired by Dr. Emma Brookner’s bravery and her unwavering care for her patients,” says Grosso, “Dr. Brookner refuses to stop her pursuit of a cure and continues to provide care to hundreds of patients infected with the AIDS virus, even as her fellow doctors ignore, avoid, and outright refuse to.”
For a production dealing with such a personal subject, an intimacy and movement coordinator is essential, and Brookelyne Peterson has that job. “I find conveying intimacy on stage to be easier than film, only for the fact that theatre is already as intimate as it gets, especially in our space,” she says, “It’s really easy to map out specifics on film and adjust them if they don’t look right for a specific scene or camera angle. On stage, we do map out specifics, but they are retelling this story every night, and the feeling that an intimate moment may have on one night may completely change on another night.”
“Additionally, the trust that actors have with each other when having to repeat movements and intimate moments without making them feel unnatural is a major part of that,” she adds, “In film, you see what they want you to see, but on stage, you see everything in real time.”
An opportunity for audience members to interact with the production cast and crew in a series of “talkbacks” will take place immediately after each performance. For 20 minutes, the floor will open for those who want to engage in discussion. A special guest will lead each conversation.
“The Normal Heart” will be performed at Lakewood Playhouse, Lakewood Towne Center, February 20–March 8. For more information visit lakewoodplayhouse.org.
