Date of Award

5-2021

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Academic Program

Theatre BA

Department

Theatre

First Advisor

Alexandra Valint, Ph.D.

Advisor Department

English

Abstract

My project is a new play titled Echoes of the Past. In this two-act full length play, two different diseases are explored: the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The show follows a trio of characters from each time period, and as the play progresses, the time periods begin to intersect, and the characters begin to interact with one another. I chose to write this play because as a member of the LGBT community, when I watched the response to the coronavirus pandemic unfold, I could not help but see the parallels to the AIDS epidemic. For inspiration, I looked to other plays about the AIDS epidemic such as Angels in America by Tony Kushner and The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer; I also researched the AIDS epidemic. The resulting play deals with many different themes, such as gender identity, community, the Black Lives Matter movement, and sexual health.

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Playwriting Commons

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