The Normal Heart

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Thursday, October 25th, 2012
8:00 PM to 10:30 PM

The Ladysmith Little Theatre is proud to present The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer�s ground-breaking and multiple award winning drama about the early days of the AIDS epidemic. This recent winner of numerous Tony Awards for the 2011 Broadway Production (best revival, best actor, best featured actor and actress) is a real-life political thriller that will soon be made into a major film starring such great actors as Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin and Jim Parsons. Described as an unflinching and unforgettable play, it is the story of a small tight-knit group of friends who refuse to let doctors, politicians, and the media bury the truth about an epidemic ravaging the gay community. It�s a story about activism, a story about human suffering.
First produced in 1985 and clearly ahead of its time, the play is still relevant today, sometimes irreverently tackling such issues as gay marriage, homophobia, discrimination, promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. It is a potent snapshot of culture, psychology and angst providing audiences with a vibrant view of love and loss. The Normal Heart delivers one of the most powerful evenings you'll ever spend at the theater. It resonates not only for the way in which it captures a community in crisis, but for how it reminds audiences that we are all connected.
Directing The Ladysmith Little Theatre�s production, Josee Duffhues was herself an early activist in the fight against the spread of this epidemic, working as a volunteer founder of the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area, a volunteer at Casey House Hospice in Toronto, a member of the Ontario Palliative Care Association Executive Board, and, finally, leaving her position as an instructor for the Drama Department at the University of Waterloo to become the AIDS Program Manager for the Waterloo Regional Health Unit. She also co-directed the first Canadian production of The Normal Heart at the University of Waterloo in 1987. She is joined by Joanne Rowlands as the Assistant Director. Cast members include Sherri McLean, Scott Harvey, Dusty Smith, Greg Salmon, Rick Meyers, Scott Bastian, Brian March, Mike Saunders, Paul Konishi and Lynnia Clark. The Normal Heart opens on October 25th and runs through to November 11th. Contact Josee Duffhues, 250-245-8480 for more information.