The Baltimore Waltz at Bowdoin College

Paula Vogel

Bowdoin College

Authors

• Paula Vogel

In this humorous allegory for the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Anna, an unmarried schoolteacher, is diagnosed with ATD (Acquired Toilet Disease). It's fatal and mysterious, so she and her brother Carl take off for a dream tour of Europe before the inevitable happens. As Anna drowns herself in the sensuality of food and sex, Carl becomes involved in a wild Third Mannish espionage scheme to find a cure for his sister. But the cracks in the story start to widen and soon the audience becomes aware that they are engaged in Anna's fantasy attempt at keeping her brother's spirit alive when she cannot save his life.