Investigative theatre with black gay and bi, HIV+ men in southern cities
April 21, 2017 9:42 AM   Subscribe

From a review of As Much as I Can: 'We peer through face-sized holes into a room where, one after another, two diagnoses are delivered to two men: one HIV negative, the other positive. We press to walls listening to the exhausted, anguished 12-step testimony of a community mentor. We eavesdrop on a Greek chorus of homophobes at a barber shop. We hear a mom worry that her son will be shot for walking, driving, living, while black. "You can't run away; you can't clock out of that experience," Isa (an audience member) said, "because you're also never in a room long enough to get stuck."'

As Much as I Can was an immersive theatre experience based on action research with black gay and bi men in the middle of an HIV epidemic. (background article) Advocates staged the show in two of the cities most affected by the epidemic, Baltimore, Maryland and Jackson, Mississippi using a mix of professional actors and members of the local community. The article touches on multiple issues, including doing research within black gay and bi communities, attempting to build networks, and the importance of addressing stigma and trauma in HIV prevention/care work.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos (2 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Thanks for posting. Excellent article. Hopefully the insights will translate into improvements in the healthcare system.
posted by larrybob at 10:03 AM on April 21, 2017


This sounds amazing; I wish I could see/experience this.
posted by rtha at 10:48 AM on April 21, 2017


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