Memories of a Supernatural AIDS Crisis
In this exploration of the AIDS pandemic that combines speculative fiction with activist histories, Memories of a Supernatural AIDS Crisis asks: “What would happen if HIV conferred supernatural powers?” This question serves as the catalyst for a kaleidoscopic performance that interweaves theatre, dance, and song. The story tackles core HIV/AIDS challenges like stigma, racial disparities, and the accessibility of prevention and care in a dimension where characters embody memories from AIDS history and transform themselves with the mystical “Balm of Gilead.” Set a century into the future, in a Detroit that stands as Earth's final stronghold after the ravages of global warming, this queer sci-fi drama follows Xylophlactis, an astronaut of the human body, and Pandrion, a Black trans cybernetic heroine. Together, they traverse violence and euphoria in a love story that forges a new, empowering cosmic existence.
Written & directed by Marc Arthur
Performed by Notorious Pink Flowers, Yolanda Jack, and Joe Smentowski
Lighting design by Justin Gibson
Audio engineer John Pierre
Co-Produced with Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University and supported by a Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Creative/Research Grant
Run time: one hour, without an intermission.
Pre-show discussion: Please join us one hour before the performance, at 6pm, for a 30-minute conversation about the themes in Memories of A Supernatural AIDS Crisis. Writer and director Marc Arthur will be joined by Anwar Uhuru, assistant professor of African American studies and affiliate faculty in the Departments of Philosophy and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Wayne State University and Laurence Wilson, Chairman of The Southeast Michigan HIV/AIDS Council (SEMHAC) and a member of the SERO Project Justice Institute, focusing on HIV decriminalization. This event is sponsored by the Center for Gender and Sexuality (CGS).