Pride Films And Plays Hosts Discussions On Living With HIV To Follow Friday Performances Of PINK ORCHIDS

Pride Films and Plays has announced a series of discussions in conjunction with its American premiere of PINK ORCHIDS - a British play in which five eloquently interwoven and often funny monologues explore the experience of living with HIV from the perspectives of those living with the virus and those who care for and care about HIV+ persons. Staff members from Test Positive Awareness Network (TPAN) and other HIV activists will lead the weekly discussions about living with in a world with HIV - either as someone who has tested positive for the virus or is vulnerable to it.

The discussions will be held following the Friday night performances of PINK ORCHIDS, in The Buena, Pride Arts Center, 4147 N. Broadway, between Friday, June 15 and Friday, July 6. Free wine and beer will be served, and TPAN will provide free HIV and HEP-C testing and PrEP/PEP referrals. Curtain times for the Friday evening performances (and all evening performances) are 7:30 pm. The running time of the show is approximately 80 minutes and the discussions will begin shortly after the performance. Reservations are recommended for the PINK ORCHIDS performance, but are not required to attend the post-show discussions and screenings.

TPAN, Test Positive Aware Network, provides services for those vulnerable to and living with HIV and related health conditions. Its mission is to save lives and empower those affected by HIV. Its national magazine, Positively Aware, is a trusted source of HIV treatment news.

The topics and speakers are as follows:

Friday, June 15
HIV Stigma: Then and Now
Andrew Kain Miller, Events Manager, TPAN
Valerie Gorman, Retired Clinical Specialist, Cardiovascular Nursing

Friday, June 22
Dating with HIV
Christopher Pazdernik, Artistic Director, Refuge Theatre Project and HIV activist
Other guests to be announced

Friday, June 29
The HIV Crisis Today
Guests to be announced

Friday, July 6
PrEP - Myth vs. Fact
Kevin Bernal, Peer Health Navigator at TPAN

TPAN, Test Positive Aware Network, provides services for those vulnerable to and living with HIV and related health conditions. Its mission is to save lives and empower those affected by HIV. Its national magazine, Positively Aware, is a trusted source of HIV treatment news.

PINK ORCHIDS premiered in London in 2016 under the title THE HIV MONOLOGUES. This production will be directed by Brennan T. Jones and will open to the press on Friday, June 8 at 7:30 pm, in the Pride Arts Center's Buena space. Jones directed JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS for Pride Films and Plays in summer 2017 and was Assistant Director for TimeLine Theatre's THE AUDIENCE last fall.

Jones' cast will include Jerome Beck (DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA for First Floor, and THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH for Remy Bumppo), Don Baiocchi (HOT PINK AND READY TO BLOW for New American Folk Theatre), Nick Dorado (AS YOU LIKE IT for Eclectic Full Contact Theatre Company and ON GOLDEN POND at Oil Lamp Theatre); and Kathleen Puls Andrade, whose stage credits include BIBLE BINGO, part of the LATE NITE CATECHISM series at the Royal George and whose television credits include CHICAGO MED, BOSS, BERNIE and the award winning SHERYL STILL SINGLE.

PINK ORCHIDS begins with Alex (Beck) meeting Nick (Baiocchi) and finding a connection. This connection is tested when Alex learns Nick is HIV-positive. He procrastinates about how to behave when confronted with Nick's HIV status and makes some regretful mistakes. An Irish nurse, Irene (Kathleen Puls Andrade), and a producer, Barney (Dorado), also explain how HIV has affected their lives and the devastation caused by media negativity and other elements within society, even from within the LGBT community.

The production team for PINK ORCHIDS will include Evan Frank (scenic design), Noel Huntzinger (costume design), Blake Cordell (lighting and sound design), Hillarie Shockley (properties design), Erica Hughes (Dialect Coach) and Megan Chaney (Stage Manager).

PINK ORCHIDS will open to the press on Friday, June 8, following previews on Wednesday, June 6 and Thursday, June 7. It will run through July 7th, playing in repertory with THE GREEN BAY TREE, which will open on June 13 following previews on June 11 and 12. The "PAC Pride Series" will continue with Joe DiPietro's f-ing MEN, playing from July 1 - August 25; a world premiere, HURRICANE DAMAGE by Kevin Brofsky playing from August 1 - 26; and the American Premiere of HOLDING THE MAN, by Australian playwright Tommy Murphy, from August 5 - 26, 2018.

Patrick Cash (playwright) is a writer living in London. His plays include a queer adaptation of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, THE CLINIC, QUEERS, THE CHEMSEX MONOLOGUES, SUPERFICIAL and THE HIV MONOLOGUES. He is a senior contributing editor to ATTITUDE and has written for VICE and DAZED. Both THE HIV MONOLOGUES and THE CHEMSEX MONOLOGUES are published by Oberon Books, and THE CHEMSEX MONOLOGUES was nominated for the Polari Prize 2017. THE HIV MONOLOGUES was produced in Sydney, Australia in 2017. He also wrote and co-produced the short film series THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GRINDR.

Brennan T. Jones (director) BRENNAN T. JONES is a freelance director, dramaturg, and stage manager in Chicago. Past PFP Credits include YANK! (AD) and staged readings of Tom Wells' JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS (Director) and Matt Schutz's SALT FIRE (Dramaturg). Brennan has also worked in Chicago with Timeline Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Victory Gardens, and Porchlight Music Theatre, and is a resident artist at Redtwist Theatre. He is a recent graduate of the Theatre School at DePaul University, and also attended Virginia Commonwealth University. Upcoming: SAGGITARIUS PONDEROSA at Redtwist Theatre (Stage Manager) and THE BOOK OF DINAH for Exponent Media Group (Screenwriter). As always, thanks to Bonnie, Ms. K, and Wes.

Tickets for all events are on sale now at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-411-4111 or 773-857-0222.

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