Theater Can Provide a Beacon Among Shadows Cast by AIDS

In a theater review of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” critic Jan Herman praises the new work, noting “there isn’t one mention of AIDS. And all the couples are heterosexual” (“Clever ‘I Love You’ Spoofs the Dating Game,” Calendar, Nov. 14).

Undoubtedly Herman, like most of us, has grown weary of the omnipresence of AIDS, AIDS, AIDS; for more than a decade, AIDS--like any widespread tragedy--has consumed artists of all stripes. And maybe he’s seen one too many of those pesky gay characters populating the theater (they’ve even barged into our living rooms on the tube, oh my). I agree that both topics--AIDS and gayness--can be cloying when presented as a trendy, hot property.

However, the theater is one of the few outlets where artists have been able to deal with issues of AIDS--and yes, homosexuality--without censorship. In fact, the theater has proven to be a cherished sanctuary--a catalyst for catharsis, a bridge to greater understanding.

The critic suggests this musical comedy premiere “is perhaps the barometer of a new mood of theatrical inclusion for the silent majority.” Does this imply that the bulk of theater deals with AIDS and homosexuality? C’mon. For every “Angels in America,” there’s an onslaught of theatrical fare that devotes itself to the not-so-silent majority.

If there is a perception that the theater is dominated by issues of AIDS and homosexuality, perhaps it’s because the theater has determinedly tackled these volatile subjects with greater intensity and honesty than television or motion pictures.

To speculate that, to quote Herman, “maybe we’ve turned a corner” by not focusing on AIDS or homosexuality in the theater worries me. The corner could be on a street called Denial.

Yes, the new drug therapies have fueled us with hope. But let’s not discourage artists from bringing AIDS to our consciousness, particularly theater artists. While significant strides have been made scientifically, AIDS remains a very real threat to all of humanity. No one--artists, scientists, playwrights or anyone else--dare become complacent.

I would prefer AIDS be eliminated, period, and I wish that gayness were more naturally integrated into our society; however, as long as AIDS and homophobia continue to destroy uncountable lives, we need the blazing power of the theater to illuminate our stories.