WBOC’s Lisa Bryant makes acting debut in ‘Normal Heart’ March 3-4

Clear Space Theatre Company, in collaboration with AIDS Delaware, will present Larry Kramer’s iconic play, “The Normal Heart,” Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4. WBOC ‘s Lisa Bryant plays Dr. Emma Brookner. The role is based on physician Linda Laubenstein, who discovered some of the first cases of the illness which became known as AIDS. Frustrated and distraught as her gay, male patients died of a disease with no name – and less public acknowledgement – she pushed relentlessly for research, recognition and support services for her patients. 

Bryant said, “Appearing in this play takes me well outside my comfort zone – I’ve never been in a staged production before! But I’ve been trying to spend more time outside that zone, in order to grow, so I really wanted to play this role. While this is definitely not the feel-good story of the year, the star of the story, ultimately, is love. I like that.”

Clear Space Executive Director Wesley Paulson said, “We are honored that Lisa Bryant joined the cast of ‘The Normal Heart.’ I have enjoyed appearing on ’Delmarva Life’ with Lisa and her co-host, Jimmy Hoppa, and look forward to seeing her on our stage here at Clear Space.”

Bryant said, “Dr. Brookner is tough and speaks her mind, but she also is very loving and compassionate. Even when everything seems so dark and uncertain, her love shines through. I find balancing Dr. Brookner’s competing emotions is the biggest challenge for me. She’s angry over what’s going on – or not going on – and she’s frustrated that her efforts to figure out the disease draw no support. But she’s also got this softer, compassionate side that is revealed in her devotion to her patients.”

The original play opened off-Broadway in 1985 and portrays the earliest years of the AIDS epidemic. Bryant said, “For those who remember the early 1980s, I want the show to be a reminder of just how far we’ve come. For those who don’t, I think it’s going to be an education. It should serve also as a reminder to everyone that we still have a long way to go in creating a society of equality.”

Directed by David Button, “The Normal Heart” centers on Ned Weeks, a gay writer who finds himself at the forefront of the fight against AIDS at a time when the disease was so terrifyingly new, it didn’t even have a name. As more and more of his friends fall ill, Ned does his best to rally support for the cause, while raging against institutions of media, medicine, and government that seem determined to ignore him. “The Normal Heart” has moments that range from laugh-out-loud funny to utterly heartbreaking. It is a true ensemble piece.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention placed Delaware in the southern region of the U.S. where 45 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV live. Delaware’s HIV epidemic disproportionately affects the African-American population, which comprises 21 percent of the state’s residents, but accounts for 61 percent and 67 percent of the state’s HIV and AIDS cases, respectively.

Real people, based on the play’s Ned character, have made significant changes in HIV awareness, treatment and prevention. But with the increased transmission of HIV via intravenous drug use, it is vital to remain vigilant and not return to the early days of the HIV epidemic. The story of “The Normal Heart” remains relevant to this day.

Sponsored by Bell Rock Capital, “The Normal Heart” runs for only two performances, set for 6 p.m., Saturday, March 3,  and 2 p.m., Sunday, March 4. Tickets for each show are $50, and include a pre-show reception with hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine. Proceeds benefit both AIDS Delaware and Clear Space. To purchase tickets, go to www.aidsdelaware.org or www.clearspacetheatre.org, or call 302-227-2270.