Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
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Given Circumstances:
Play begins in 1981
Takes place in NYC
1981 was the most violent year in NYC
AIDS Epidemic
This was a time that was extremely horrifying because people were dying from an
an unknown disease and no one knew how to treat it.
Ned is gay and is very open about it.
While Im not the most open about my sexuality, I know what it feels like to embrace
something different than the social norm. I know what its like to simply be different.
Has a brother, Ben
Owns a large amount of books
This is a fact about Ned that is presented in an unusual way. Ned likes to collect books
that are going out of print so that he can read them some day.
Ned is Jewish
Has gone to corrective therapy
To me, this is like being berated about being different and being forced to change
something about myself in order to make others happy, which is something I have done
before but has made me feel really bad about myself so I switch back to what makes me
happy.
9. Ned is a nervous talker
I am the human embodiment of the word nervous so I completely understand this
attribute.
10. Has had a sexual interaction with Felix before, but forgot about it.
Nothing is as awkward as accidentally introducing yourself to someone that youve
already met, which is something I have done before so I completely understand this `
moment in the play.
11. Real name is Alexander
Ned changes his name from Alexander to Ned because of a book he read.
12. Stonewall
Stonewall was mentioned, which was a series of riots that led to the gay liberation
movement and opened the door to the LGBT community and gave them an opportunity
to fight for their rights.
13. Black people and lesbians were not as present during the AIDS movement
Which might mean that none of the cast is really black.
14. Fire Island was a thing
15. Bruce is vice president of Citibank
16. Felix has his own key to Neds apartment halfway through the play
At this point in the play, Felix and Ned have already taken their relationship to the next
level and Felix has moved in.
17. Ben also went to therapy
Scene:
Ned: Help Felix. Bring dinner. Enter apartment. Set down groceries. Turn to close the door and
see Felix is on the floor. Cross over to where Felix is.Why are you sitting on the floor?
Felix: I fell down trying to get from there to here.
Ned: Attempt to help Felix up. Physically attempts to carry Felix. Lets put you to bed.
Felix: Dont touch me!
Ned: Cross behind bench.Understand Felixs ordeal. Ask about Felixs day. Did you go to chemo
today?
Felix Yes. I threw it all up. You dont have to let me stay here with me. This is horrible for you.
Ned: Care for Felix Change the subject to how Ned can help Felix Im hungry. How about you?
Can you eat a little? Please? Cross over to groceries. Ive bought dinner.
Felix: Emma says a cure wont come until the next century. Emma says its years till a vaccine,
which wont do me any good anyway. Emma says the incubation period might be up to three,
ten, twenty years.
Ned: . Ned attempts to show that he is really trying to be there for Felix. Emma says youve got
to eat.
Felix: Whoever thought youd die from having sex?
Ned: Set down groceries. Cross to Felix. Ned reassures Felix that there is hope. Did Emma also
tell you that research at the NIH has finally started. Help Felix onto the bench. That something is
now possible. We have to hope.
Felix: Oh do we?
Ned: Yes, we do.
Felix: And how am I supposed to do that? You activists who think you can always make
everything right - that the world can always be a better place.
Ned: Defending himself. Ned questions why Felix is attacking him when hes only trying to help.
Why are you doing this? Get up. Cross to chair with donuts. Cross back to groceries. Ned cares
for Felix again. Ned changes the topic back to him trying to care for Felix, with a hint of
aggression this time. Why are you eating this shit? You know how important it is to watch your
nutrition. Youre supposed to eat right.
Felix: I have a life expectancy of of ten more minutes. Im going to eat what I want to eat. Ned,
its going to get messier any day now and I dont want to make you see it.
Ned: Reminding Felix that they are in a relationship and theyre supposed to love each other.
Ned reminds Felix of the sacrifices that he has done to show his love for Felix and make sure he
is living comfortably during his illness. Nobody makes me do anything; you should know that
better than anybody else by now. What are you going to do? Sit on the floor for the rest of your
life? We have a bed in the other room. You could listen to those relaxation tapes we bought you
three months ago. You havent use them at all. Do you hear me?
Felix: Yes I hear you.
Ned: Are you ready to get up yet? And eat something?
Felix: No! - Ive had over forty treatments. No! - Ive had three, not four different types of chemo.
No! Ive had interferon, a couple of kinds. Ive had two different experimentals. Emma has spent
more time on me than anybody else. None of it has done a thing. Ive had to go into the hospital
four times - and please God dont make me go back into the hospital until I die. Emma has lost
so many patients they call her Dr. Death. you cannot force the goddamn sun to come out.
Ned: Ned loses his composure finally. Ned finally stops trying to care for Felix. Felix! Cross to
Felix.I am so sick of fighting, and bragging about fighting, and everybodys stupidity, and
blindness, and intransigence, and guilt trips. You cant eat the food? Dont eat the food. Cross
back to groceries. Take your poison. I dont care. You cant get up off the floor - fine, stay there. I
dont care. Fish - fish is good for you; we dont want any of that, do we? No green salad. No
broccoli; we dont want any of that, no, sir. No bread with seven grains. who would ever want
any milk? You might get some calcium in your bones. Cross back to Felix You want to die,
Felix? Die! Sit down next to Felix. Ned needs forgiveness from Felix. Ned realizes that he was
out of line and attempts to fix his blunder with one sentence. Felix, please dont leave me.
One of the major challenges of this scene is making sure that I, as Ned, make sure that I show
that Im fighting for stability and love from my boyfriend, Felix. I need to show