# The Normal Heart > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Normal_Heart > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Normal_Heart.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Normal_Heart > Source revision: 1345327297 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|1985 play by Larry Kramer}} {{For|the film adaptation|The Normal Heart (film){{!}}''The Normal Heart'' (film)}} {{use mdy dates|date=May 2014}} {{use American English|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox play | name = The Normal Heart | image = TheNormalHeart.jpg | caption = Cover of the paperback edition released by [Plume](/source/Plume_(publishing)) in October 1985 | alt = | writer = [Larry Kramer](/source/Larry_Kramer) | chorus = | characters = | mute = | setting = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), United States | premiere = April 21, 1985
April 19, 2011 (revival) | place = [The Public Theater](/source/The_Public_Theater)
[New York City](/source/New_York_City), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), United States | orig_lang = English | series = | subject = [AIDS in New York City](/source/AIDS_in_New_York_City) | genre = Drama | web = }} '''''The Normal Heart''''' is a largely [autobiographical](/source/autobiography) play by [Larry Kramer](/source/Larry_Kramer). It focuses on the rise of the [HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City](/source/HIV%2FAIDS_in_New_York_City) between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the [gay](/source/gay) founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group. The play's title comes from [W. H. Auden](/source/W._H._Auden)'s poem, "[September 1, 1939](/source/September_1%2C_1939)".{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Stan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltwN3MpcPIcC&pg=PA1 |title=The Cambridge Companion to W. H. Auden |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |isbn=9781139827133 |page=1}} After a successful 1985 [off-Broadway](/source/off-Broadway) production at [The Public Theater](/source/The_Public_Theater), the play was staged in Los Angeles and London. It was revived off-Broadway in 2004, and finally made its [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) debut in 2011. The play was first published by Plume in the US, and by Drama Editor Nick Hern for Methuen in the UK to coincide with the 1986 British première at London's Royal Court Theatre. He then reissued it in his own imprint [Nick Hern Books](/source/Nick_Hern_Books) in 2011 when first staged on Broadway, and again in a tie-in edition alongside the National Theatre revival in 2021. ==Characters== {{cite book|last1=Kramer|first1=Larry|title=The Normal Heart|date=1985|publisher=Samuel French, Inc.|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-573-61993-9}} * Craig Donner * Mickey Marcus * Ned Weeks * Dr. Emma Brookner * Bruce Niles * Felix Turner * Ben Weeks * Tommy Boatwright * Hiram Keebler ==Synopsis== During the early 1980s, Jewish-American writer and [gay activist](/source/gay_activism) Ned Weeks struggles to pull together an organization focused on raising awareness about the fact that an [unidentified disease](/source/gay-related_immune_deficiency) is killing off a specific group of people: [gay men](/source/gay_men), largely in [New York City](/source/New_York_City). Dr. Emma Brookner, a physician and survivor of [polio](/source/polio) (as a consequence of which she is using a wheelchair), has the most experience with this strange new disease. She bemoans the lack of medical knowledge about the illness, and encourages gay men to practice abstinence for their own safety, since it is still unknown how the disease is spread. Ned, a patient and friend of Brookner's, calls upon his lawyer brother, Ben, to help fund his crisis organization; however, Ben's attitude toward his brother is one of merely passive support, which ultimately exposes his [homophobia](/source/homophobia). For the first time in his life, meanwhile, Ned falls in love, beginning a relationship with ''[New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' writer Felix Turner. The increasing death toll raises the unknown illness, by this time correctly believed to be caused by a [virus](/source/virus), to the status of an [epidemic](/source/epidemic), though the press remains largely silent on the issue. A sense of urgency guides Ned, who realizes that Ben is more interested in buying a two-million-dollar house than in backing Ned's activism. Ned explosively breaks off ties with his brother, not wanting further interaction until Ben can fully accept Ned's [homosexuality](/source/homosexuality). Ned next looks to Mayor [Ed Koch](/source/Ed_Koch)'s administration for help in financing research about the epidemic, which has now killed hundreds of gay men, including some of Ned's personal friends. Ned's organization elects as its president Bruce Niles, who is described as the "good cop" of [gay activism](/source/gay_activism) in implicit comparison to Ned: while Bruce is cautious, polite, deferential, and closeted, Ned is vociferous, confrontational, incendiary, openly gay, and supportive only of [direct action](/source/direct_action). Tensions between the two are clear, though they must work together to effectively promote their organization. Felix, meanwhile, reveals to Ned his belief that he is now infected with the mysterious virus. Although he continues to try to strengthen interactions with the mayor, Ned ruins his chances when his relentless and fiery personality appalls a representative sent by the mayor. Dr. Brookner gradually takes on the role of activist herself, and notes the epidemic's appearance in other countries and among [heterosexual](/source/heterosexual)s. Although she desperately seeks government funding for further research, her request is denied; the rejection prompts her to unleash a passionate tirade against those who allow the persistence of an epidemic that is taking the lives of homosexuals, who are already marginalized by the government. In the meantime, Ned's conflict with Bruce comes to a head, and their organization's board of directors ultimately expels Ned from the group, believing his unstable vehemence to be a threat to the group's attempts to engage in calmer diplomacy. As Felix's condition worsens, he visits Ben in order to make his [will](/source/will_(law)), and in the hope of effecting a reconciliation between Ben and his brother. All of them, along with Emma, meet at Felix's deathbed. Emma unofficially weds Felix and Ned, and Felix dies immediately after. Ned blames himself for his lover's death, lamenting that he did not fight hard enough to make his voice heard. The play ends with Ned and Ben embracing. As the stage fades to black, the rate of mortality from [HIV/AIDS](/source/HIV%2FAIDS) is shown to be continuing to increase. ==Autobiographical parallels== After most performances of the 2011 revival of ''The Normal Heart,'' Kramer personally passed out a [dramaturgical](/source/dramaturgy) flyer detailing some of the real stories behind the play's characters.{{cite book |author-link=Larry Kramer |author=Kramer, Larry |date=2011 |url=http://media.npr.org/assets/artslife/arts/2011/05/larry-kramer-flyer_custom.jpg |title=Please Know |series=The Normal Heart on Broadway |access-date=24 June 2011 |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324080219/http://media.npr.org/assets/artslife/arts/2011/05/larry-kramer-flyer_custom.jpg |url-status=live }} Kramer wrote that the character "Bruce" was based on [Paul Popham](/source/Paul_Popham), the president of the GMHC from 1981 until 1985; "Tommy" was based on [Rodger McFarlane](/source/Rodger_McFarlane), who was executive director of GMHC and a founding member of [ACT UP](/source/ACT_UP) and [Broadway Cares](/source/Broadway_Cares); and "Emma" was modeled after Dr. [Linda Laubenstein](/source/Linda_Laubenstein),{{cite news |author=Lambert, Bruce |date=17 August 1992 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/17/nyregion/linda-laubenstein-45-physician-and-leader-in-detection-of-aids.html |title=Linda Laubenstein, 45, Physician and Leader in Detection of AIDS |department=Obituary |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=24 June 2011 |archive-date=January 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116112342/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/17/nyregion/linda-laubenstein-45-physician-and-leader-in-detection-of-aids.html |url-status=live }} who treated some of the first New York cases of what later became known as [AIDS](/source/AIDS). Like "Ned," Kramer himself helped to found several AIDS-activism groups, including [Gay Men's Health Crisis](/source/Gay_Men's_Health_Crisis) (GMHC) and [AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power](/source/AIDS_Coalition_to_Unleash_Power) (ACT UP), and indeed experienced personal conflict with his lawyer brother, [Arthur](/source/Arthur_Kramer).{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} It has been suggested (though not by Kramer himself) that the model for 'Felix' was John Duka, a ''New York Times'' style reporter who died of AIDS-related complications in 1989.{{cite news |last1=La Ferla |first1=Ruth |title=John Duka, a fashion wit, returns in Larry Kramer's film |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/fashion/john-duka-a-fashion-wit-returns-in-larry-kramers-film.html?_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 23, 2014 |access-date=22 July 2015}} ==Productions== ===1985–1999=== Produced by [Joseph Papp](/source/Joseph_Papp) and directed by [Michael Lindsay-Hogg](/source/Michael_Lindsay-Hogg), the play opened [off-Broadway](/source/off-Broadway) at [The Public Theater](/source/The_Public_Theater) on April 21, 1985, and ran for 294 performances. The original cast included [Brad Davis](/source/Brad_Davis_(actor)) as Ned and [D. W. Moffett](/source/D._W._Moffett) as Felix, with David Allen Brooks as Bruce Niles and [Concetta Tomei](/source/Concetta_Tomei) as Dr. Emma Brookner (based on [Linda Laubenstein](/source/Linda_Laubenstein), M.D.). [Joel Grey](/source/Joel_Grey) replaced Davis later in the run. During the original 1985 production, the set was very simple with a small amount of furniture and the set walls consisted of white-washed plywood. All along these walls and even the theatre walls, there were facts, newspaper headlines, figures and names that were involved in the [HIV/AIDS Epidemic](/source/HIV%2FAIDS_in_the_United_States) painted in black. For example, one of the passages written on the set read, "During the first nineteen months of the epidemic, ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' wrote about it a total of seven times" and another passage read, "During the three months of the [Tylenol scare](/source/Chicago_Tylenol_murders) in 1982, ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' wrote about it a total of 54 times". The text that was painted onto the set was updated and revised constantly. One fact stated the latest number of AIDS cases nationally (according to the [Centers for Disease Control](/source/Centers_for_Disease_Control)), and if the number increased, before the next performance the set designers would cross out the old number and, below it, paint the new figure. The play received its European premiere in 1986 at London's [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), where it was directed by David Hayman and produced by Bruce Hyman. In that production Ned Weeks was initially played by [Martin Sheen](/source/Martin_Sheen) who received an [Olivier Award](/source/Olivier_Award) nomination as Best Actor. When it transferred to the [Albery Theatre](/source/Albery_Theatre) (now the Noël Coward Theatre) Ned Weeks was played by [Tom Hulce](/source/Tom_Hulce) and then [John Shea](/source/John_Shea). For that production [Paul Jesson](/source/Paul_Jesson), who played Felix, won the [Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Performance_in_a_Supporting_Role). ''The Normal Heart'' received its Polish premiere in 1987 at the [Polish Theatre in Poznań](/source/Polish_Theatre_in_Pozna%C5%84) where it was directed by {{ill|Grzegorz Mrówczyński|pl}}.{{cite web|title=AIDS - kronika zarazy|url=http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/artykuly/153494.html|access-date=2018-03-11|website=www.e-teatr.pl|archive-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806024415/http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/artykuly/153494.html|url-status=live}} The Polish cast included {{ill|Mariusz Puchalski|pl}} as Ned Weeks and {{ill|Mariusz Sabiniewicz|pl}} as Tommy Boatwright, with [Andrzej Szczytko](/source/Andrzej_Szczytko) as Bruce Niles and Irena Grzonka as Dr. Emma Brookner.{{cite web|title=Teatr w Polsce - polski wortal teatralny|url=http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/realizacje/22892,szczegoly.html|access-date=2018-03-11|website=www.e-teatr.pl|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115150948/http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/realizacje/22892,szczegoly.html|url-status=live}} In a student production of the play at Cambridge University in 1988, the role of Felix was played by [Nick Clegg](/source/Nick_Clegg).{{citation | author=David Hare | title=Nick Clegg wows the public in his role of Spanner in the Works | newspaper=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/28/nick-clegg-general-election-2010 | date=2010-04-28 | access-date=2014-06-03}} The play received its Australian premiere at the [Sydney Theatre Company](/source/Sydney_Theatre_Company) in 1989, directed by [Wayne Harrison](/source/Wayne_Harrison_(director)).[http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/organisation/30 ''AusStage'', "Sydney Theatre Company"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328094313/http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/organisation/30 |date=March 28, 2015 }}; Retrieved 6 January 2015. In subsequent productions of the play, Ned Weeks was portrayed by [Richard Dreyfuss](/source/Richard_Dreyfuss) in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles),[http://actuparchives.org/?q=it/node/10 Larry Kramer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223607/http://actuparchives.org/?q=it/node/10 |date=July 24, 2011 }} at the [Act Up](/source/Act_Up) archives and [Raul Esparza](/source/Raul_Esparza) in a 2004 [Off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) revival directed by [David Esbjornson](/source/David_Esbjornson) at the Public.[http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=3458 2004 revival at the Lortel Archives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111054821/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=3458 |date=January 11, 2010 }} On April 18, 1993, [Barbra Streisand](/source/Barbra_Streisand) organized and introduced a benefit reading for [Broadway Cares](/source/Broadway_Cares) at the [Roundabout Theatre Company](/source/Roundabout_Theatre_Company) (for years she had been trying to get the movie made with her as director).{{cite news | author= Cerasaro, Pat | title= 2011 Tony Award Interview with John Benjamin Hickey | url= http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-EXCLUSIVE-2011-Tony-Award-Interview-with-John-Benjamin-Hickey-20110514_page2 | work= BroadwayWorld | date= May 14, 2011 | access-date= May 11, 2012 | archive-date= August 29, 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110829083034/http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-EXCLUSIVE-2011-Tony-Award-Interview-with-John-Benjamin-Hickey-20110514_page2 | url-status= live }} It starred [Kevin Bacon](/source/Kevin_Bacon), [John Turturro](/source/John_Turturro), [Harry Hamlin](/source/Harry_Hamlin), [D.W. Moffett](/source/D._W._Moffett), [Tony Roberts](/source/Tony_Roberts_(actor)), [David Drake](/source/David_Drake_(actor)), Kevin Geer, [Eric Bogosian](/source/Eric_Bogosian), [Jonathan Hadary](/source/Jonathan_Hadary) and [Stockard Channing](/source/Stockard_Channing) as Emma Brookner.http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/barbra_streisand/the_normal_heart___a_play_by_larry_kramer__the_broadway_benefit_reading___various_artists/ . [Rate Your Music](/source/Rate_Your_Music).{{deprecated inline|certain=y|date=November 2024}} ===2000s=== The show had an Off-Broadway revival in 2004 at the [Public Theater](/source/Public_Theater) presented by the Worth Street Theater Company, starring [Raúl Esparza](/source/Ra%C3%BAl_Esparza) as Ned Weeks and [Joanna Gleason](/source/Joanna_Gleason) and [Lisa Kron](/source/Lisa_Kron) as Dr. Brookner, directed by [David Esbjornson](/source/David_Esbjornson) (taking over from [Jeff Cohen](/source/Jeff_Cohen_(playwright_and_theater_director)) mid-rehearsal) and lighting design by [Ken Billington](/source/Ken_Billington). The success of this revival lead to the 2011 Broadway production. The Broadway premiere of ''The Normal Heart'' began on April 19, 2011, for a limited 12-week engagement at the [Golden Theatre](/source/Golden_Theatre). This production used elements employed in a staged reading, directed by [Joel Grey](/source/Joel_Grey), held in October 2010. The cast featured [Joe Mantello](/source/Joe_Mantello) as Ned, [Ellen Barkin](/source/Ellen_Barkin) (making her Broadway debut) as Dr. Brookner, [John Benjamin Hickey](/source/John_Benjamin_Hickey) as Felix, [Lee Pace](/source/Lee_Pace) as Bruce Niles, and [Jim Parsons](/source/Jim_Parsons) as Tommy Boatwright (both Pace and Parsons made their Broadway debuts). Joel Grey made his Broadway directing debut; [George C. Wolfe](/source/George_C._Wolfe) was supervising director. The production supported several "nonprofit organizations, including The [Actors Fund](/source/Actors_Fund) and [Friends In Deed](/source/Friends_In_Deed)."{{cite news | author=Andrew Gans | title=The Normal Heart Begins Beating on Broadway April 19 | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/149979-The-Normal-Heart-Begins-Beating-on-Broadway-April-19 | work=Playbill | date=April 19, 2011 | access-date=May 11, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401031552/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/149979-The-Normal-Heart-Begins-Beating-on-Broadway-April-19 | archive-date=April 1, 2012 | df=mdy-all }} In the 2011 Broadway revival, when the actors weren't in the scene they would stand along the walls of the set and watch from the shadows the scene being performed. Towards the end of the play when Felix dies, he leaves Ned alone on center stage and steps back to where the other actors are, along the shadowy walls of the set. This Broadway production also echoed the original idea to have the white-washed walls covered with facts and figures. During the finale of this production, names of those affected by the [AIDS Epidemic](/source/HIV%2FAIDS_in_the_United_States) were gradually projected onto the walls until the set was completely covered in names, marking the end of the play. A production at Washington, D.C.'s, [Arena Stage](/source/Arena_Stage) was scheduled to run from June 8 to July 29, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/the-season/productions/the-normal-heart/ |title=The Normal Heart | Productions | Shows / Tickets | Arena Stage |access-date=2012-06-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623085153/http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/the-season/productions/the-normal-heart/ |archive-date=June 23, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}. [Arena Stage](/source/Arena_Stage). A production produced by Studio 180 Theatre at [Buddies in Bad Times](/source/Buddies_in_Bad_Times) theatre in [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/Ontario), in 2011 and 2012 starred [Jonathan Wilson](/source/Jonathan_Wilson_(actor)) as Ned Weeks and [John Bourgeois](/source/John_Bourgeois_(actor)) as Ben.[https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/theatre-review-the-normal-heart-at-buddies-in-bad-times "Theatre Review: The Normal Heart at Buddies in Bad Times"] . ''[National Post](/source/National_Post)''. October 21, 2011. In May 2021, the [One Institute](/source/One_Institute) presented a historic virtual reading of "The Normal Heart" reaching audiences across the United States and in 19 countries across the globe. The virtual presentation marked the first time the play featured a cast that is predominately BIPOC and LGBTQ. Directed by Emmy Award winner Paris Barclay, cast members of the production included [Sterling K. Brown](/source/Sterling_K._Brown), [Laverne Cox](/source/Laverne_Cox), [Jeremy Pope](/source/Jeremy_Pope_(actor)), [Vincent Rodriguez III](/source/Vincent_Rodriguez_III), [Guillermo Díaz](/source/Guillermo_D%C3%ADaz_(actor)), Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, [Daniel Newman](/source/Daniel_Newman_(American_actor)), [Jay Hayden](/source/Jay_Hayden) and [Danielle Savre](/source/Danielle_Savre). An encore presentation of the reading streamed worldwide in December 2021 in honor of World AIDS Day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-04-08/normal-heart-bipoc-lgbtq-tickets-laverne-cox-sterling-brown|title=Tickets on sale for 'The Normal Heart' with Laverne Cox and Sterling K. Brown|website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)|date=April 8, 2021|access-date=December 2, 2021|archive-date=December 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202165439/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-04-08/normal-heart-bipoc-lgbtq-tickets-laverne-cox-sterling-brown|url-status=live}} A London revival of the play was originally scheduled to begin performances at the [National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre) in Spring 2021, but was delayed due to the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_UK).{{Cite web|date=2020-12-16|title=The Normal Heart|url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-normal-heart|access-date=2021-08-31|website=National Theatre|archive-date=August 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831181548/https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-normal-heart|url-status=live}} It began previews on 23 September 2021 at the National's Olivier Theatre, with a [Dominic Cooke](/source/Dominic_Cooke)-directed cast led by [Ben Daniels](/source/Ben_Daniels), [Liz Carr](/source/Liz_Carr) and [Luke Norris](/source/Luke_Norris_(actor)). The production, staged in part celebration of the play's 35th anniversary and the author (who died of pneumonia in 2020), received largely positive reviews. Many critics noted social and political parallels between the play's representation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|date=2021-10-01|title=REVIEW: The Normal Heart, National Theatre London ✭✭✭✭✭|url=https://britishtheatre.com/review-the-normal-heart-national-theatre-london/|access-date=2022-01-19|website=British Theatre|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|date=2021-10-01|title=The Normal Heart review – poignant and powerful account of the Aids epidemic|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/01/the-normal-heart-review-larry-kramer|access-date=2022-01-19|website=the Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The Normal Heart review – the National Theatre revives Larry Kramer's play {{!}} WhatsOnStage|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/the-normal-heart-national-larry-kramer_55028.html|access-date=2022-01-19|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=September 30, 2021|language=en-GB|archive-date=January 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119003342/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/the-normal-heart-national-larry-kramer_55028.html|url-status=live}} The revival ran until 6 November 2021, and received five [Laurence Olivier Award](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Awards) nominations the following year, including [Best Revival](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Revival) and [Best Actor](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actor) for Daniels.{{Cite web |last1=Yossman |first1=K. J. |date=2022-03-08 |title=Eddie Redmayne, Jessie Buckley and Emma Corrin Nominated for Olivier Awards 2022 |url=https://variety.com/2022/theater/news/olivier-awards-nominations-2022-1235199067/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409193815/https://variety.com/2022/theater/news/olivier-awards-nominations-2022-1235199067/ |url-status=live }} Carr won the Olivier for [Best Actress in a Supporting Role](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actress_in_a_Supporting_Role),{{Cite news |date=2022-04-11 |title=Liz Carr calls for theatres to host facemask-only performances |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61061976 |access-date=2022-04-12 |archive-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412012100/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61061976 |url-status=live }} and Daniels received a [Critics' Circle Theatre Award](/source/Critics'_Circle_Theatre_Award) for [Best Actor](/source/Critics'_Circle_Theatre_Award).{{Cite web |last=Frost |first=Caroline |date=2022-04-03 |title="Cabaret" Takes Top Honors At Critics Circle Theatre Awards: Jessie Buckley, Ben Daniels, Cush Jumbo Win Acting Prizes |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/cabaret-critics-circle-theatre-awards-jessie-buckley-ben-daniels-cash-jumbo-1234993264/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411193442/https://deadline.com/2022/04/cabaret-critics-circle-theatre-awards-jessie-buckley-ben-daniels-cash-jumbo-1234993264/ |url-status=live }} The [State Theatre Company of South Australia](/source/State_Theatre_Company_of_South_Australia) staged the play at the [Adelaide Festival Centre](/source/Adelaide_Festival_Centre) in October 2022, directed by Dean Bryant, with STCSA artistic director [Mitchell Butel](/source/Mitchell_Butel) as Ned and Mark Saturno as Ben.{{cite web | title=Theatre review: The Normal Heart | website= [InDaily](/source/InDaily) |first=Murray |last=Bramwell| date=5 October 2022 | url=https://indaily.com.au/inreview/theatre/2022/10/05/theatre-review-the-normal-heart/ | access-date=8 October 2022}} ==Television adaptations== A Polish television adaptation débuted on the [TVP](/source/Telewizja_Polska) channel on 4 May 1989, one month before the [first free election in the country since 1928](/source/Polish_legislative_election%2C_1989).{{Cite news| title=FilmPolski.pl| language=pl| work=FilmPolski| url=http://www.filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php?film=522511| access-date=2018-03-11| archive-date=November 26, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126191122/https://filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php?film=522511| url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Człowiek, który rzucił wyzwanie AIDS|url=http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/artykuly/247867.html?josso_assertion_id=38FAC093E636BDCF|access-date=2018-08-05|website=www.e-teatr.pl|archive-date=June 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621194006/http://www.e-teatr.pl/pl/artykuly/247867.html?josso_assertion_id=38FAC093E636BDCF|url-status=live}} The [American telefilm adaptation](/source/The_Normal_Heart_(film)) débuted on the HBO premium pay cable channel on Sunday, May 25, 2014.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} ==Sequel== Kramer wrote a sequel about Ned Weeks in 1992, ''[The Destiny of Me](/source/The_Destiny_of_Me)'', which was performed at the [Lucille Lortel Theater](/source/Lucille_Lortel_Theater) by the [Circle Repertory Company](/source/Circle_Repertory_Company) in October of that year.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/21/theater/review-theater-the-destiny-of-me-larry-kramer-tells-his-own-anguished-story.html| work=[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)| title=Review/Theater -- The Destiny of Me; Larry Kramer Tells His Own Anguished Story| first=Frank| last=Rich| date=21 October 1992| archive-date=October 15, 2022| access-date=October 15, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015010142/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/21/theater/review-theater-the-destiny-of-me-larry-kramer-tells-his-own-anguished-story.html| url-status=live}} ==Critical reception and response== In his review in ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', [Frank Rich](/source/Frank_Rich) observed, "In this fiercely polemical drama ... the playwright starts off angry, soon gets furious and then skyrockets into sheer rage. Although Mr. Kramer's theatrical talents are not always as highly developed as his conscience, there can be little doubt that ''The Normal Heart'' is the most outspoken play around{{spaced ndash}} or that it speaks up about a subject that justifies its author's unflagging, at times even hysterical, sense of urgency. ... Mr. Kramer has few good words to say about [Mayor Koch](/source/Ed_Koch), various prominent medical organizations, ''The New York Times'' or, for that matter, most of the leadership of an unnamed organization apparently patterned after the [Gay Men's Health Crisis](/source/Gay_Men's_Health_Crisis). Some of the author's specific accusations are questionable, and, needless to say, we often hear only one side of inflammatory debates. But there are also occasions when the stage seethes with the conflict of impassioned, literally life-and-death argument. ... The writing's pamphleteering tone is accentuated by Mr. Kramer's insistence on repetition - nearly every scene seems to end twice - and on regurgitating facts and figures in lengthy tirades. Some of the supporting players ... are too flatly written to emerge as more than thematic or narrative pawns. The characters often speak in the same bland journalistic voice - so much so that lines could be reassigned from one to another without the audience detecting the difference. If these drawbacks ... blunt the play's effectiveness, there are still many powerful vignettes sprinkled throughout."Rich, Frank (April 22, 1985). [https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/22/theater/theater-the-normal-heart-by-larry-kramer.html "Theater: 'The Normal Heart'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126152734/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/22/theater/theater-the-normal-heart-by-larry-kramer.html |date=January 26, 2017 }}. ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)''. Jack Kroll of ''[Newsweek](/source/Newsweek)'' called it "extraordinary" and added, "It is bracing and exciting to hear so much passion and intelligence. Kramer produces a cross fire of life-and-death energies that create a fierce and moving human drama."{{cite book | isbn=0802136923 | title=The Normal Heart and the Destiny of Me: Two Plays | last1=Kramer | first1=Larry | date=2000 | publisher=Grove Press }} In the ''[New York Daily News](/source/Daily_News_(New_York))'', [Liz Smith](/source/Liz_Smith_(journalist)) said, "An astounding drama . . . a damning indictment of a nation in the middle of an epidemic with its head in the sand. It will make your hair stand on end even as the tears spurt from your eyes." [Rex Reed](/source/Rex_Reed) stated, "No one who cares about the future of the human race can afford to miss ''The Normal Heart''," while director [Harold Prince](/source/Harold_Prince) commented, "I haven't been this involved{{spaced ndash}} upset{{spaced ndash}} in too damn long. Kramer honors us with this stormy, articulate theatrical work." On the day ''The Normal Heart'' opened, a spokesman for ''The New York Times'' addressed statements in the play about the newspaper's failure to give the disease adequate coverage. He said that as soon as ''The Times'' became aware of AIDS, it assigned a member of the science staff to cover the story, and his article appeared on July 3, 1981, making ''The Times'' "one of the first{{spaced ndash}} if not the first{{spaced ndash}} national news media to alert the public to the scientific recognition and spread of the disease." He also cited a later full-length report in ''[The New York Times Magazine](/source/The_New_York_Times_Magazine)'' about recent discoveries made by researchers. When asked about his negative portrayal in ''The Normal Heart'', former New York City Mayor [Ed Koch](/source/Ed_Koch) said through a spokesman, "I haven't seen the play. But I hope it's as good as ''[As Is](/source/As_Is_(play))'', which is superb." In 2000, the [Royal National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre) named ''The Normal Heart'' one of the 100 greatest plays of the 20th century. In his 2004 book, ''How to Do the History of Homosexuality'', [David Halperin](/source/David_Halperin) criticized the character of Ned Weeks for surrendering to "gay chauvinism" and "homosexual essentialism" through "various strategies of elitism and exclusion" when he lists renowned homosexuals he considers part of his culture.Halperin, David M. (2004). ''How to Do the History of Homosexuality''. [University of Chicago Press](/source/University_of_Chicago_Press). {{ISBN|0-226-31448-0}}. p. 16. Of the 2011 Broadway revival of the play, [Ben Brantley](/source/Ben_Brantley) wrote in ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'':{{cite news | url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/theater/reviews/the-normal-heart-on-broadway-theater-review.html | title=Raw Anguish of the Plague Years | work=The New York Times | date=28 April 2011 | last1=Brantley | first1=Ben | archive-date=May 21, 2013 | access-date=May 23, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521151156/http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/theater/reviews/the-normal-heart-on-broadway-theater-review.html | url-status=live }} {{Blockquote |text=What this interpretation makes clear, though, is that Mr. Kramer is truly a playwright as well as a pamphleteer (and, some might add, a self-promoter). Seen some 25 years on, ''The Normal Heart'' turns out to be about much more than the one-man stand of Ned Weeks, the writer who takes it upon himself to warn gay men about [AIDS](/source/AIDS) (before it was even identified as such) and alienates virtually everyone he comes across. Ned Weeks — need I say? — ''is'' [Larry Kramer](/source/Larry_Kramer), with a thoroughness that few onstage alter-egos can claim.}} After the 2011 Broadway production, Patrick Healy from ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' interviewed young, gay men that had attended the show to see their reaction to the subject matter.{{cite news|last1=Healy|first1=Patrick|title=Young Gays on Broadway's 'Normal Heart' Revival|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/theater/young-gays-on-broadways-normal-heart-revival.html|access-date=11 December 2017|work=The New York Times|date=23 June 2011|archive-date=December 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213011420/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/theater/young-gays-on-broadways-normal-heart-revival.html|url-status=live}} Most of the young men that Healy interviewed talked about how the [HIV/AIDS epidemic](/source/HIV%2FAIDS_in_the_United_States) is almost never brought up in textbooks or discussed in class by teachers. The Broadway revival became a "heart-tugging lesson", according to Healy's interviews, for those who weren't alive during the events that unfolded in the gay community in the 1980s. On June 12, 2011, [Ellen Barkin](/source/Ellen_Barkin) and [John Benjamin Hickey](/source/John_Benjamin_Hickey) won the Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Featured Actress and Actor, respectively, for its Broadway debut, while the production won [Best Revival of a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Revival_of_a_Play). In his review of the 2021 historic reading of the play presented by the One Archives Foundation, [Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) chief theatre critic [Charles McNulty](/source/Charles_McNulty) praised cast member [Sterling K. Brown](/source/Sterling_K._Brown) noting that he "captured so brilliantly" the role of Ned Weeks. He added: "the choice of Brown was inspired. Not only is he an exceptional, Emmy-winning actor, but his performance represented an act of coalition building, a recognition of shared struggle and a refusal to let the walls of identity serve as a prison."{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-05-13/sterling-k-brown-normal-heart-aids-covid|title = Sterling K. Brown proves that casting a straight actor in a gay role isn't always a misstep|website = [Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)|date = May 13, 2021}} ==Awards and nominations== === Original London production === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="20%"| Award ! width="45%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result |- | rowspan="3" align="center"| 1986 | rowspan="3" |[Laurence Olivier Award](/source/1986_Laurence_Olivier_Awards) | colspan="2" |[Play of the Year](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_New_Play) |{{nom}} |- |[Actor of the Year](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actor) |[Martin Sheen](/source/Martin_Sheen) |{{nom}} |- |[Outstanding Performance of the Year in a Supporting Role](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Performance_in_a_Supporting_Role) |[Paul Jesson](/source/Paul_Jesson) |{{won}} |} === 2011 Broadway revival === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="20%"| Award ! width="45%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result |- | rowspan="8" align="center"| 2011 | rowspan="5" |[Tony Award](/source/65th_Tony_Awards) | colspan="2" |[Best Revival of a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Revival_of_a_Play) |{{won}} |- |[Best Actor in a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Actor_in_a_Play) |[Joe Mantello](/source/Joe_Mantello) |{{nom}} |- |[Best Featured Actor in a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Featured_Actor_in_a_Play) |[John Benjamin Hickey](/source/John_Benjamin_Hickey) |{{won}} |- |[Best Featured Actress in a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Featured_Actress_in_a_Play) |[Ellen Barkin](/source/Ellen_Barkin) |{{won}} |- |[Best Direction of a Play](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Direction_of_a_Play) |[George C. Wolfe](/source/George_C._Wolfe) and [Joel Grey](/source/Joel_Grey) |{{nom}} |- | rowspan="3" |[Drama Desk Award](/source/Drama_Desk_Award) | colspan="2" |[Outstanding Revival of a Play](/source/Drama_Desk_Award_for_Outstanding_Revival_of_a_Play) |{{won}} |- | colspan="2" |Outstanding Ensemble Performance |{{Won|Honoree}} |- |[Outstanding Director of a Play](/source/Drama_Desk_Award_for_Outstanding_Director_of_a_Play) |George C. Wolfe and Joel Grey |{{won}} |} === 2021 London revival === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="20%"| Award ! width="45%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result |- | rowspan="6" align="center" | 2022 | rowspan="5" |[Laurence Olivier Award](/source/2022_Laurence_Olivier_Awards) | colspan="2" |[Best Revival](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Revival) |{{Nominated}} |- |[Best Actor](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actor) |[Ben Daniels](/source/Ben_Daniels) |{{Nominated}} |- | rowspan="2" |[Best Actor in a Supporting Role](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actor_in_a_Supporting_Role) |[Dino Fetscher](/source/Dino_Fetscher) |{{Nominated}} |- |[Danny Lee Wynter](/source/Danny_Lee_Wynter) |{{Nominated}} |- |[Best Actress in a Supporting Role](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_Actress_in_a_Supporting_Role) |[Liz Carr](/source/Liz_Carr) |{{Won}} |- |[Critics' Circle Theatre Award](/source/Critics'_Circle_Theatre_Award) |[Best Actor](/source/Critics'_Circle_Theatre_Award) |Ben Daniels |{{won}} |} ==References== {{reflist|30em}} ==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140107025627/http://thenormalheartbroadway.com/ ''The Normal Heart'' Broadway revival] (link archived in 2013) * {{IBDB show|489849}} * {{iobdb show | The Normal Heart}} {{Larry Kramer}} {{Navboxes | title = Awards for ''The Normal Heart'' | list = {{DramaDesk PlayRevival 2001–2025}} {{TonyAward PlayRevival 2001–2025}} }} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Normal Heart, The}} Category:1985 plays Category:Autobiographical plays Category:Broadway plays Category:Plays about HIV/AIDS Category:LGBTQ-related plays Category:Off-Broadway plays Category:Plays based on actual events Category:Plays set in New York City Category:Fiction about Jews and Judaism Category:Plays by Larry Kramer Category:Tony Award–winning plays Category:Plays set in the 1980s Category:American plays adapted into films Category:1980s LGBTQ literature Category:History of gay men in the United States Category:GLAAD Media Award–winning plays --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Normal Heart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Normal_Heart) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Normal_Heart?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.