Theater review: ‘The Normal Heart’: Gut-wrenching and eye-opening

In the play "The Normal Heart", a mysterious illness is claiming the lives of a specific group of people in early 1980s New York. We know the disease today as AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection, but back then, it didn’t even have a name, which made it all the more chilling for the gay men who seemed to be its primary target.

Dr. Emma Brookner (played by Roselyn Perez), who has treated more patients that display symptoms of the disease than anyone else in the state, convinces openly gay writer Ned Weeks (Bart Guingona) to start an organization to spread awareness about what she feels is a growing epidemic. Weeks asks help from his lawyer-brother Ben (Richard Cunanan) and corrals a ragtag group of individuals for the cause, including Bruce Niles (TJ Trinidad), a charismatic but closeted activist, who the organization eventually elects as its president.

The two often clash, as Weeks is as loud, irreverent and hostile as Niles is restrained, levelheaded and polite. Others in the core group include Mickey (Nor Domingo) and Tommy (Red Concepcion). Trying to get the mainstream press to write about the disease, Weeks meets New York Times writer Felix Turner (Topper Fabregas), with whom he eventually starts a romantic relationship.

Originally a play written by Larry Kramer, this is the first time "The Normal Heart" is being staged in the Philippines. Pop culture junkies would probably be familiar with the material through the critically acclaimed HBO movie that came out last year directed by Ryan Murphy and starringMark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch and Julia Roberts.

This staging by local group The Necessary Theater is especially noteworthy because of last week’s US Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Between that and recent high-profile news concerning transsexuals and transgendered people here and elsewhere in the world, one would think society is finally becoming more tolerant, if not more embracing of gay rights.

But if anything, the play splashes cold water in the face of anyone who is being lulled into a false sense of triumph and progress, especially concerning the scourge of AIDS. At the end of the play, statistics flashed on the giant screen showed that this year, as many as 22 new cases of HIV are being reported every day, which is a tremendous leap from one daily in 2010. As Guingona, who also directed the production, said during a chat with members of the media, the Philippines in 2015 is exactly where New York City was in 1981, when fear, paranoia, and aversion towards gay people ruled over acceptance and understanding.

Kramer’s words are so powerful and emotionally charged that it would take phenomenal actors to give them justice. This cast is more than up to the task. Standouts are Perez as the wheelchair-bound Dr Brookner, whose delivery of an impassioned speech railing against the refusal of the US government to fund her research into the disease is jaw-dropping in its intensity, and Domingo as Mickey, who also gets a take-notice moment of his own as he breaks down amidst the stress of volunteering for the organization and keeping his job with the city government.

On the other hand, special mention must also be given to the brilliantly understated performances of Fabregas and Trinidad. Theater actors are often taught to exaggerate onstage, so the fact that these two managed to convey depth and elicit sympathy without resorting to histrionics is all the more remarkable.

As for Guingona, I can only imagine how exceptionally difficult it is to both direct and star in a play that not only attempts to visualize an especially dark and troubling time for the gay community, but does so with so much fury and desperation. The theater veteran obviously carried much of the burden in this production, and while there were a few stumbles, I found his portrayal of the aggressive and outspoken Weeks believable and ultimately satisfying.

There are a few chuckles, courtesy of Kramer’s sharp, incisive depiction of New York gays in the 80s (this is, after all, based on real events), but audiences looking for a rip-roaring, thigh-slapping good time are in for a colossal disappointment. "The Normal Heart" is excruciatingly brutal, like a vigorous shake to the senses, and it doesn’t let you go. It’s soul-sucking and gut-wrenching; the after-school special your parents never wanted you to see.

But here’s your chance to see it now. Why? Because whatever it is you thought you knew about gay people and HIV and AIDS, this play will open your eyes and touch your heart like no pamphlet, lecture or website ever could. — BM, GMA News

“The Normal Heart,” produced by AAI and The Necessary Theater, will have a limited run from July 3 to 5 (Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday and Saturday, 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.) at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. For tickets, call TicketWorld at 8919999.

Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.