By John Hayden

Three actors sit in an ethereal waiting room. Each performance, the audience chooses which actor must portray the lead character of a Black man diagnosed with HIV in Island City Stage’s newest production of One In Two by Donja R. Love. This compelling story, an unflinching portrait of being Black and gay in America today, will run from August 4 – September 4, 2022. “One in Two” is the final production of the award-winning theater company’s 10th Anniversary 2021-22 South Florida Season.

“One in Two” refers to the current HIV projection rate that 1 in 2 black men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1-in-4 Latino MSM in the United States will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime, according to a 2016 analysis by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unlike other plays, in this production, the audience chooses nightly which actor must portray the fated lead character.

Actors Kevane La’Marr, Randall Swinton, and Nathaniel J. Ryan take on the roles which pose an extra challenge. La’Marr told OutClique, ”With many shows, rehearsing four to five hours a day would be enough to get the show up on its feet and prepared for an audience; however, this show requires that the rehearsal process continue outside of the theater. The three of us actors were all very aware that we were going to have to sleep, eat, and breathe this piece and only this for the next couple of months, which means that we are in rehearsal for about five hours a day.” But that’s only part of the process. “In order to be wholly prepared for the epic ride of this play, we would have to spend potentially another 5-6 hours of studying the script in an attempt to be word perfect, as well as spend time creating and nurturing the relationships within our brotherhood of the three actors.”

That extra time is spent by all three actors, with Ryan saying, “It’s really about memorizing the entire play, all 81 pages. It’s memorizing everyone’s lines so I can be prepared as much as possible.”

Swinton says the audience choosing the roles is an artistic choice that carries through the show. “The play has a way of bringing to the foreground the important role the audience plays as viewers and spectators. The high number of HIV transmissions within our community is still an epidemic. As these numbers grow, there will always be a reality of individuals who have the power to use the evidence that they witness to spread awareness and change to the community regarding the spread of HIV. There is still an aura of discussing these topics being seen as taboo, especially within the Black community. The openness to discuss these topics, but center it around Black lives with Black actors allows audience members who are not a part of the Black community, or even the gay community, to ponder how they might be able to alter their role solely from a spectator or an audience member to helper, or at least someone who is more willing to talk openly about topics that were once seen as taboo to affect change in more lives.”

Ryan echoes those thoughts, saying, “There needs to be a bigger and better dialogue on what it means to be HIV+ in the Black community.”