The exhibit, “The Normal Heart—A Look Back to 1989,” opened yesterday, Oct. 13, to showcase the archival materials preserved by special collections after the controversial production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, that has since won a Tony Award for its Broadway revival as well as a 2014 Emmy Award for the HBO film adaptation starring Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts. The exhibit, located in the special collections department, will be available until Dec. 19, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Tuesday evenings until 9 p.m. when classes are in session.
Play’s history at Missouri State
Missouri State’s theatre and dance department has been pushing the boundaries of social commentary throughout its history on campus, its most controversial moment coming from this production 25 years ago. The play’s focus on the early years of the AIDS epidemic drew ire from local representatives and advocacy groups. Soon the community was embroiled in a battle over academic freedom, community values and what constitutes appropriate activities at a public institution. The library will display items such as photographs, media coverage, petitions and many of the hundreds of letters—both for and against—sent to then SMSU President Marshall Gordon.
MSU president to join local panel about the play
Missouri State President Clif Smart will also join former MSU president Marshall Gordon, as well as myriad alumni and others involved with the original MSU production of The Normal Heart, in a panel series hosted by Springfield Contemporary Theatre, exploring the controversy behind the 1989 production and the intervening years to this anniversary production. The panels will take place Oct. 20 and 27, to run during SCT’s production of the play, Oct. 17-Nov. 2.