I nearly bawled reading this last night. ( )

I nearly bawled reading this last night. ( )

I picked this up after seeing it performed on my campus recently. You can read my review of the performancein my personal blog. A lot of what I wrote there does apply to my reading of the text. Some may say the play is dated, but I think it remains as relevant as ever. Though the LGBTQ community has made many strides from the last century, there is still a lot of work to be done, and there is still a lot of ignorance, bigotry, neglect, and other issues, plus the AIDS epidemic remains as lethal as ever. This is a moving and powerful play depicting the early days of the epidemic when no one really knew what was going on and a few people were just trying to figure out what to do and how to help while the rest just sat idly aside whether due to fear, prejudice, ignorance, or just flat out arrogance. The gay community was divided, right after the sexual revolution of the 1960s, confronted by an emerging epidemic that they felt threatened anything they achieved out of the revolution. The medical establishment, save for one or two brave souls, pretty much did nothing other than fight internally for the glory of maybe snagging a Nobel Prize for discovering the virus rather than actually collaborating. And then there was the government at all levels. As it is said in the play, no one really comes out looking well after all of this.

Well worth reading, and if it happens to come to your town or college campus, go see it. ( )

A play I was sure I had read until I saw the HBO version last year and realized I hadn't. Visceral, sad, raw, both angry and tearful making. Reminded me how much I hated Reagan. Not that I needed much reminding. ( )

Larry Kramer, you angry magnificent bastard. ( )