Romance, heartbreak & music

time of AIDS lands on campus

The performance begins by introducing the setting. It’s the late 1980s in East New York. Poverty is a well known struggle for many young people, and the AIDS epidemic is at its peak. At this point, we still didn’t have medicine that would help those with AIDS continue to live. Getting the disease during this time is essentially a death sentence.

We meet Mark (Dale Van Slyke), an independent filmmaker, who struggles to make ends meet. Mark introduces some of the main characters including his roommate, musician Roger (Kevin Boecher). Together they live in poverty in the East Village of New York.

Roger is a recovering heroin addict, who contracted AIDS from sharing needles. As the production moves forward, we’re introduced to Tom (Aro Caitlin) and Angel (Aaron Revilla). Angel is a street drummer and a drag queen. Tom and Angel learn that they both have the HIV virus, which frequently leads to AIDS. Throughout the musical, Tom and Angel fall in love.

The on stage chemistry between this couple is incredible. The passion Caitlin and Revilla show through their romance feels authentic, and there is underlying sadness knowing their inevitable fate with HIV.

Another important couple to follow throughout the story is Roger and Mimi (Emelysse Paez). Mimi performs as an exotic dancer to support herself.