2008 Woodie Awards
Noted activist visits Middlebury
Rachel Greenhaus
Issue date: 3/16/06 Section: News
Students, faculty and townspeople gathered in Dana Auditorium this past Thursday to view a program devoted to exploring and celebrating the work of Larry Kramer. Kramer, a renowned gay rights and AIDS activist as well as a playwright, novelist, screenwriter and non-fiction writer, came to Middlebury this past week to speak specifically on the subject of his newest book, "The Tragedy of Today's Gays." The evening's program began with a reading from his 1985 play "The Normal Heart," followed by Kramer and a question - and - answer panel with members of the student body and the faculty.
The reading from "A Normal Heart" was performed by Middlebury students Lucas Kavner '06, Rishabh Kashyap '08, Kevin Tierney '08, Paul Doyle '07 and Lauren Kiel '07 and Professor of Theatre and Women's and Gender Studies Cheryl Faraone. Assistant Professor of Theatre Claudio Medeiros introduced the scenes, saying that "The Normal Heart" "is not fiction - it is a document of a crucial moment in cultural history and a poignant reminder that even today, silence still equals death."
The students performed three scenes centering around the semiautobiographical gay male activist character of Ned Weeks (Kavner) and his doctor Emma Brookner (Kiel) and the way these two cope with the overwhelming enormity of the AIDS virus in its early years.
Doyle explained the value of the play for audiences today: "It's important for us to read it now and understand the voice of anger, to see where we come from. It helps us appreciate what we have and to see where we can do more. It's given me a lot of food for thought."
Later in the evening, Kramer voiced what was on everyone's mind when he remarked that "The Normal Heart" "could be performed today as though it were happening today. Every word is still applicable."
Kramer's speech was brief but vitriolic. Introduced by Dean of Cook Commons David Edleson as a "hero," and "the loudest and most fabulous mouth of all," Kramer took the floor to a standing ovation from the crowd. He spoke about topics ranging from corporate conspiracy to the current AIDS "plague," to the apathy of today's youth and the history of gay activism. Unafraid of offending anyone or everyone, Kramer accused the audience of being passive and powerless. "I don't feel very hopeful," he said, "and that's a terrible message to come and bring to kids today. But you have to fight every single day of your life. Activism is salvation. I haven't in any way changed, I've only gotten angrier."
The reading from "A Normal Heart" was performed by Middlebury students Lucas Kavner '06, Rishabh Kashyap '08, Kevin Tierney '08, Paul Doyle '07 and Lauren Kiel '07 and Professor of Theatre and Women's and Gender Studies Cheryl Faraone. Assistant Professor of Theatre Claudio Medeiros introduced the scenes, saying that "The Normal Heart" "is not fiction - it is a document of a crucial moment in cultural history and a poignant reminder that even today, silence still equals death."
The students performed three scenes centering around the semiautobiographical gay male activist character of Ned Weeks (Kavner) and his doctor Emma Brookner (Kiel) and the way these two cope with the overwhelming enormity of the AIDS virus in its early years.
Doyle explained the value of the play for audiences today: "It's important for us to read it now and understand the voice of anger, to see where we come from. It helps us appreciate what we have and to see where we can do more. It's given me a lot of food for thought."
Later in the evening, Kramer voiced what was on everyone's mind when he remarked that "The Normal Heart" "could be performed today as though it were happening today. Every word is still applicable."
Kramer's speech was brief but vitriolic. Introduced by Dean of Cook Commons David Edleson as a "hero," and "the loudest and most fabulous mouth of all," Kramer took the floor to a standing ovation from the crowd. He spoke about topics ranging from corporate conspiracy to the current AIDS "plague," to the apathy of today's youth and the history of gay activism. Unafraid of offending anyone or everyone, Kramer accused the audience of being passive and powerless. "I don't feel very hopeful," he said, "and that's a terrible message to come and bring to kids today. But you have to fight every single day of your life. Activism is salvation. I haven't in any way changed, I've only gotten angrier."