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Ghost Town Drama: AIDS, Love, and Isolation
3 Jun
Summary
- A mysterious stranger arrives in a near-abandoned Arizona town.
- The story explores themes of aging, queer loneliness, and unspoken epidemic.
- The play's restraint creates respect but not gripping dramatic tension.
The play 'Jerome' unfolds in the almost deserted town of Jerome, Arizona, introducing a mysterious stranger named Bruin to the isolated lives of a long-term gay couple, Con and Doane.
Bruin's arrival in 1992 subtly brings to the forefront the pervasive anxieties of the AIDS epidemic, which impacts the lives of the three men despite their remote setting.
Directed by Dustin Wills, the production excels in creating atmosphere and detailing the couple's established routines, though it consciously avoids sensationalizing the epidemic's impact or the throuple dynamic.
Actor Stephen Spinella delivers a resonant performance as Con, grappling with aging and vulnerability, while Ken Barnett portrays Bruin with an engaging sense of loneliness.
The play, currently running through June 21, offers a poignant portrayal of queer survival and connection amidst hardship, even as its narrative pacing is noted as less than fully gripping.
