For many adults living today, COVID-19 has been their only experience with a pandemic. It was scary because, in its earliest days, there seemed to be no rhyme nor reason regarding whom it would attack or how serious it would be. Some might die; some might have what felt like a cold; others might feel absolutely nothing.
But for those of us who remember the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, we remember being certain of one thing: If you had AIDS, you were going to die. In many communities, particularly those with high concentrations of homosexual men, the losses were staggering—made even more difficult by a common perception that AIDS was a punishment for a “sinful” lifestyle. Those left behind to grieve often had to do it privately. Finding connection and community was vital to getting through it.
Playwright Steven Dietz is a straight man who was active in the theater community in the 1980s—which was hit hard by HIV/AIDS—meaning he lost many friends. He explores this difficult period in American history and the desire for connection in his play Lonely Planet, now running through Jan. 31 at Brüka Theatre…