Eugene Weekly : Theater : 05.04.06

Acquired Toilet Disease

UO Arena Theatre stages Baltimore Waltz.

BY SHARLEEN NELSON

In 1988, 20,786 people in the U.S. died of HIV/AIDS. One of them was Carl Vogel. The UO's University Theatre presents The Baltimore Waltz, playwright Paula Vogel's 1992 Obie-winning tribute to her late brother. The play serves as a reminder that when AIDS first struck in the U.S. in the 1980s, a high proportion of those infected were gay males. Not only did they face uncertain prognoses and a government that barely acknowledged the disease, but also social stigmas — many in society considered AIDS a punishment for a debauched lifestyle, and wearing a pink triangle on your lapel could get you fired from your job.

(L to R) Nathan Wonder and Jermaine Golden in The Baltimore Waltz.

Although the play is in part a grieving process for the playwright, The Baltimore Waltz isn't all misery and gloom. Vogel's witty blend of compassion, humor and sarcasm not only celebrates her brother's life, but also lampoons everything from HMOs and the government to the clandestine underworld of unsavory characters who preyed on the sick through the peddling of faux-hope and black-market drugs.

Anna has been diagnosed with ATD — Acquired Toilet Disease, a deadly and incurable bacterial virus that seems to assail only single, elementary school teachers. Knowing she has only a short time to live, Anna, her brother Carl and his stuffed bunny Jo-Jo embark on a whirlwind fantasy trek across Europe in search of a renowned Viennese physician rumored to have an unorthodox treatment for the disease.

Despite the Arena's limited space, through the clever use of props sporadically rearranged, a cabinet and simple, moveable wooden boxes become an airport checkpoint or a hotel room to create the broader illusion of travel. But it's the three excellent actors who are responsible for bringing the spirit of Vogel's play to life.

As Anna, Hayley Zeal demonstrates a natural ability for switching on and off between comedy and drama, one minute leaping under the covers with a lover for an amorous romp, the next, slumping into feeble despondency. Equally engaging is Nathan Wonder as the exceedingly intellectual yet sensitive and child-like Carl, who maneuvers about in a secret attempt to save his sister. Last, but certainly not least, Jermaine Golden is much more than "The Third Man/Doctor" for which he is credited in the playbill. Armed with an irresistibly impish smile and an impressive array of European accents, Golden provides much of the play's comic relief via a multiplicity of roles, including narrator, passionate French maitre d', nervous Munich virgin, pragmatic Dutch boy and cloak-and-dagger international spy.

The Baltimore Waltz continues May 4-6. Call 346-4363 for tickets.   

Opening Nights

The Full Monty Opens Friday, May 5 at Actors Cabaret of Eugene.

Proving that the average working man can be as wild and crazy and sexy as any male burlesque hunk, six unemployed, strapped-for-cash steelworkers overcome inhibition and go "the full Monty" at a local strip club. Show dates are May 5-7, 12-14, 19-21; and 26 and 27. Call 683-4368 for tickets.