About the Show

Just as the 1930s Living Newspapers were an innovative American theater technique that allowed performers and audiences to consider the serious challenges of the Depression in a thoughtful and highly entertaining manner, “Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees” will examine the story of AIDS in Haiti in terms of the larger contexts of Haitian history and international politics, from the stunning complexities of the Haitian Revolution (the only successful slave rebellion in history) to the development of post-plantation agriculture, the United States invasion of 1915 (and its celebrated anti-hero, Smedley Butler), the accession of “Papa Doc” Duvalier, and the violent upheavals of the 1980s—all of which, as Paul Farmer has pointed out, have had an effect on healthcare. The success of Partners in Health’s antiretroviral program in helping Haitians with AIDS survive emerges as a positive sign for the future possibilities of global healthcare; but the persistence of the Haitian spirit, as evidenced in the stories of a Haitian family from the Central Plateau region, is the true hero of the play.

Directed by MIT guest artist and puppeteer John Bell, “Antiretrovirals and Water Refugees” is produced by MIT’s Dramashop, and features puppets designed by Boston puppeteer Sara Peattie of the acclaimed Puppeteers Cooperative. The production’s wide-ranging collective of designers and performers includes MIT theater and visual arts students and staff, as well as musicians, artists, and performers from the Boston area.