Viewing AIDS in a new light

by Lindsay Jolivet • in News • March 20th• 480 comments

The Silhouette (20/3/2008)

We have all heard of AIDS. We all have differing opinions about the potentially life-threatening illness. However, society often chooses to remain silent about those who suffer.

Compared to North America, the continent of Africa does not have the resources, medication, and education to fight this disease. It is undeniably the most plagued region in the world, with HIV rates being as high as 40 per cent in some areas. To make matters worse, most people do not even have a voice.

On Mar. 14, the cast and crew of ShAIDS of Grey sought to give those people a voice. Written and co-directed by Alayna Kolodziechuk, in partnership with Michael Pett, and hosted by Empowerment Squared, the crew sought to highlight some of the hardships that Africans face while dealing with HIV. AS noted by the press release, “We hope this production will bring to life their unspoken realities.”

ShAIDS of Grey blossomed from the true story of a woman’s husband who died from AIDS in 1990. She approached Empowerment Squared with her story, and had a desire to spread the knowledge she had attained.

“She made this pact with God that if she ended up not being positive, she would do something when it comes to the AIDS campaign. Fast-forward eighteen years…and this is where we are now,” said Pett.

Co-directors Pett and Kolodziechuk explained that their vision was multi-dimensional. “There were three goals in one. One was closure for her, in the sense that she hadn’t dealt with all the issues surrounding her husband’s death,” explained Pett. Kolodziechuk discussed the other two as “awareness and fundraising.”

However, the production crew did not stop there. The play addressed the various attitudes toward HIV here in Canada and throughout North America, and sought to fight apathy in regards to the condition. “ShAIDS of Grey seeks to use the theatre space as a means to develop a paradigm shift in the way we think about, react to, and contribute to those affected by HIV/AIDS,” explained the show’s organizers. The audience certainly left the theatre with critical minds and emotional hearts.

The crew used the common stereotypes that they had brainstormed in first rehearsals to establish a basis for the show. “We’ve outlined what we already knew, and what the average person knows about AIDS. We tried to go beyond that and break down those boundaries, and show what they don’t know.”

Empowerment Squared donated proceeds to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, contributing to programs for orphans affected by AIDS in Africa. While the books have not all been balanced yet, the net money raised from the show came in at over $10,000.

“We wanted any money that a student had paid for the ticket, and we wanted patrons knowing that all that money was going toward charity,” said Pett.

The show had six sponsors in total, including the Queer Students Community Centre and the McMaster Humanities Society, with the Settlement and Integration Services Organization listed as a “Gold” sponsor. A Hamilton-based organization, Settlement and Integration Services Organization advocates for change and equity for immigrant and refugee communities.

Kolodziechuk and Pett felt that they had exceeded the goals they set out for themselves. “There were all these extra things along the way, like how it affected us, and how it affected the crew,” admitted Kolodziechuk.

The only regret the co-directors have involves the limited time they had to work with. The show was put together in about eight weeks, during an extremely busy time of year. However, there as already been talk of more shows in the future. “We talked about doing ShAIDS of Grey again,” said Pett, although many of the details still need to be worked out. The production team has also considered staging it in other cities, or possibly in high schools. However, Pett emphasized that another production would not be the same without the original cast.

ShAIDS of Grey addressed the topic of AIDS head-on, with a series of monologues and skits in which characters voiced their experiences with the condition. Weaved throughout a series of smaller performances was the moving story of a young journalist (played by Nicholas Fedele) on a trip to Uganda in search of “one story” about AIDS. As the play progresses, a friendship develops between the journalist and an African man named Kofi (played by Eric Kafena). Eventually, the journalist learns a great deal about the spread of HIV in Africa, but perhaps more importantly, he learns about Kofi.

The complicated and strained relationship between the two characters highlighted Kofi’s movement from criticizing the journalist’s “fancy newspaper” to telling him the intimate details of his life. Kofi assured him that he and his girlfriend always used protection, and was certain that he would not be infected with HIV.

In a moment of sheer emotional intensity, the audience discovers that Kofi has indeed been infected with the virus. While he never explains how it happened, Kofi’s girlfriend mentions at his funeral that he contracted the disease while trying to stop a burglary.

As the audience watches a character they had grown to love die so unfairly, the true tragedy of the disease hits home. Familiar declarations of “it won’t happen to me” echoed into the theatre at the moment of realization. Incredibly, the play sums up the unforgiving cruelty of this disease with the simple story of only one man.

Furthermore, the journalist progressed from understanding AIDS as a list of statistics (over 20 million Africans dead) to feeling the true impact of it through the death of his friend. AIDS changes from a number to a personal tragedy, both for the journalist and for the audience. Kofi’s message comes across through the journalist’s cry, “Your silence is deafening.”

A number of other poignant battles with AIDS—both in Africa and closer to home—contributed to the show’s overall message. Performances varied—some appealing to the heart, some addressing unfair stereotypes, and other urging viewers to act now.

One of the skits featured several actors on stage voicing their opinions about HIV. Exclamations ranged from vague dismissals to raw anger and despair. The group returned to scream their opinions angrily, and their voices gradually came together in a deafening roar of misunderstanding blurred together.

Another touching performance featured a young doctor (played by Mohini Bhavsar) telling the story of her work in Africa. The character explained how even medical school could not prepare her for the horrors she would face with those suffering from HIV. The sights and smells of the crowded hospitals overflowing with AIDS victims was overwhelming for her. With doctors elsewhere giving up and considering the fight hopeless, this doctor was literally moved to action. “There are things we can do,” she insisted, ominously addressing the audience.

The final scene featured the return of the performers from each monologue and skit. They reiterated their strongest statements, and echoed the major themes of the evening one last time. The stories of those who died of AIDS, those who battled the condition and held on, and those whose ignorance made them more hurtful than they could ever imagine all came together to address the topic—for all of us

We have all heard of AIDS. We all have differing opinions about the potentially life-threatening illness. However, society often chooses to remain silent about those who suffer.

On Mar. 14, the cast and crew of ShAIDS of Grey sought to give those people a voice. Written and co-directed by Alayna Kolodziechuk, in partnership with Michael Pett, and hosted by Empowerment Squared, the crew sought to highlight some of the hardships that Africans face while dealing with HIV. AS noted by the press release, “We hope this production will bring to life their unspoken realities.”

ShAIDS of Grey blossomed from the true story of a woman’s husband who died from AIDS in 1990. She approached Empowerment Squared with her story, and had a desire to spread the knowledge she had attained.

However, the production crew did not stop there. The play addressed the various attitudes toward HIV here in Canada and throughout North America, and sought to fight apathy in regards to the condition. “ShAIDS of Grey seeks to use the theatre space as a means to develop a paradigm shift in the way we think about, react to, and contribute to those affected by HIV/AIDS,” explained the show’s organizers. The audience certainly left the theatre with critical minds and emotional hearts.

“We wanted any money that a student had paid for the ticket, and we wanted patrons knowing that all that money was going toward charity,” said Pett.

The only regret the co-directors have involves the limited time they had to work with. The show was put together in about eight weeks, during an extremely busy time of year. However, there as already been talk of more shows in the future. “We talked about doing ShAIDS of Grey again,” said Pett, although many of the details still need to be worked out. The production team has also considered staging it in other cities, or possibly in high schools. However, Pett emphasized that another production would not be the same without the original cast.

ShAIDS of Grey addressed the topic of AIDS head-on, with a series of monologues and skits in which characters voiced their experiences with the condition. Weaved throughout a series of smaller performances was the moving story of a young journalist (played by Nicholas Fedele) on a trip to Uganda in search of “one story” about AIDS. As the play progresses, a friendship develops between the journalist and an African man named Kofi (played by Eric Kafena). Eventually, the journalist learns a great deal about the spread of HIV in Africa, but perhaps more importantly, he learns about Kofi.

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