Journey through the murderous years of AIDS, Never wipe away tears without gloves offers a touching portrait of this hecatomb that claimed the lives of 30 million people in the 1980s.
The theatrical adaptation of Jonas Gardell’s novel by Véronique Côté, which runs at Trident until April 1st, transports us with realism to that dark time and to the spirit of sexual freedom of that time.
Never Wipe Tears Without Gloves is about Rasmus, 19, who arrives in Stockholm and a group of friends in search of freedom, love and happiness, gathered around the very colorful Paul.
Rasmus will meet Benjamin and fall in love with this young man who is stuck in the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At the same time, an unidentified virus called “gay cancer” is spreading and wreaking havoc in the community.
The work, directed by Alexandre Fecteau of the We are here collective, is a 3:30 show with an intermission. A length of time that may seem insurmountable at first glance, but it is by no means so. We pass easily.
In addition to delving into the intimacy of these characters affected and impacted by HIV, we find narrative elements that trace key moments led by homosexuals. Moments full of frustration in the face of intransigence and certain clichés of the time.
Olivier Arteau and Maxime Beauregard-Martin shine in the roles of Rasmus and Benjamin. Arteau delivers a very strong moment before the break against his parents, played by Hugues Frenette and Érika Gagnon. Everyone plays well. We believe in.
Maxime Robin, who slips into the shoes of the flamboyant Paul, deserves a special mention. He gives a great performance as the man who is the focus of this small community, held together by necessity.
live music
Alexandre Fecteau’s staging succeeds with a beautiful use of scenic space and depictions of coffins that are used in a variety of ways. Maybe we overused the water falling from the sky and pooling on the stage. A water associated with the carnage pouring down on the shoulders of this community.
A pianist and a string trio interpret a soundtrack based on Felix Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E minor on stage. A presence that we are seeing more and more of and that enriches the theatrical experience enormously.
The subject may seem heavy at first, but the humor runs through the whole play. We’re not just in the drama.
Medicine has advanced and the HIV virus that killed 40 million people is not that deadly 40 years later. Never Wipe Tears Without Gloves is a successful return to a not so distant past that not everyone is necessarily aware of and shows the cohesion of a community.