When I first came out as queer and transgender almost 10 years ago, I was completely unaware of the incredibly rich culture and history that exists within the LGBTQ+ community. As I got older, I found myself craving stories from the past. I read and watched everything I could get my hands on, but I realized just how many voices were missing. Where were our elders? Why hadn’t I learned about gay history in school? As I read more and more about the AIDS crisis, it felt like someone  pulled a rug from under me. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic more than 700,000 people have died of AIDS in the United States alone, and I had no idea. In examining our past, I quickly learned that the fight towards queer liberation has always been one step forward and two steps back. 

In the 40 years since Larry Kramer wrote The Normal Heart, the LGBTQ+ community has gone through many highs and lows. We won rights that did not exist for gay people in 1984. We are now covered under certain discrimination measures, we can get married, and we have more representation both on screen and off than ever before. Yet, we also face vicious political attacks that utilize the exact same rhetoric used in the 1980’s. Transgender Americans in particular seem to have a target on their back, with over 558 anti-trans pieces of legislation introduced this year alone. It is clear that a loud minority feels that LGBTQ+ people should not have autonomy over their bodies and lives. Even in the community itself, there is constant debate over what should be done to address this hate. For many young queer people, it feels like we are facing an insurmountable battle. 

In The Normal Heart, we see this same battle play out during the AIDS crisis. Fear, ignorance, and homophobia directly caused the deaths of thousands of members of the LGBTQ+ community. Refusal and failure of the American government and healthcare systems to address the crisis  left the queer community to fend for itself, and in doing so, rifts formed. People who wanted to assimilate versus those who wanted to stand out. People who saw being gay as an important and proud part of their identity versus those who firmly believed that their preferences should be private. This is what is so overwhelming about queer liberation—the pieces don’t always fit together nicely. If there is one thing to be learned from this era, it is that we are stronger together. Especially now, when there are more allies than ever before. We all have a part to play, whether that is community care, activism, or just sharing our history so that we do not forget what we have been through.

Recently, I spoke with a young queer person who couldn’t remember a time before marriage equality. This person felt overwhelmed and hopeless, but I reminded them that we have been fighting the battle towards queer liberation for hundreds of years, and we aren’t going to stop now. The way forward is to learn our history, know our stories, and  never stop telling them loudly. That is why we continue to put on The Normal Heart, 40 years later. In the foreword to the play, Larry says, “Learn from it and carry on the fight. Let them know that we are a very special people, an exceptional people. And that our day will come.” Our day is coming, but only if we fight for it. 

Special thanks to the following individuals for helping us create the world of The Normal Heart: Diego Farrell, Marina Sartori, Kate Schembri, Erik Fox, Miguel & Antonio Ferreira, Jack Riter, Nathan Lee, and Amber Kovacs.

Thanks to Ken Yotsukura Photography for our pre-production photos. Check out Ken's work at: www.kbyphotos.com

*Appearing through an Agreement between New Repertory Theatre and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Actors' Equity Association (“Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks

THE NORMAL HEART IS PRESENTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CONCORD THEATRICALS ON BEHALF OF SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.  WWW.CONCORDTHEATRICALS.COM

Scroll to the bottom of The Normal Heart Production Page to find links to historical and dramaturgical information. 

Angelica Potter (she/her)- Director of Organizational Transition 

Michael Hisamoto (he/him)- Resident Artistic Director & Lead Producer of The Normal Heart

Lois Roach (she/her)- Resident Artistic Director

Maria Hendricks (she/her)- Resident Artistic Director 

Lisa Cerqueira (she/her)- Business Operations Associate

Cal Callahan (any pronouns)- Education Coordinator

Maria Basescu (she/her)- Communications/PR Consultant

Rose Beardmore (she/they)- Summer Artistic & Community Engagement Intern 

Natalie Ottaviano (she/her)- Summer Artistic & Costume Shop Intern

Ziyuan Tian (she/her)- Summer Digital Marketing Intern

Board of Directors

Chris Jones - Chair

Danielle Galligan - Vice-Chair

Sarah O'Neill - Clerk

Lillian Sober Ain

Lisa A. Breit

Shannon Joseph Fairley-Pittman, Ed.D.

Erin Fragola

Don Giller

Jodi Goodman

Jackson Jirard

Stanley Kay, Legal Counsel

Shari Malyn

Chris Noble

Cheryl Price

Christopher Shearer

Pamela Taylor

Michael Zimmer