Theatre Columbus State presents As Is

Professor D. Michael Ehret of the Communication Skills Department directs William H. Hoffman's groundbreaking drama As Is this month, with four performances in the Ballet Met Performance Space.

At the time of its 1985 debut, As Is was unique in its subject matter -- the shattering of lives as a result of the emerging AIDS epidemic. Critics and theater-goers were struck by the drama's compassion, its compelling characters, and its unexpected humor.

Mel Gussow of the New York Times wrote that "Mr. Hoffman has found exactly the appropriate tone for his subject, a dramaturgical equivalent of the title of the play. He leads us to view the disease, its victims (actual and potential) and its survivors as is, without a gloss of self-pity or sentimentality. Many of the most positive aspects of the play are in the absence of a negative - the pitfalls it avoids.... 'As Is' refrains from heroics. The people are not martyrs but fallible beings, and, one can conclude, some of them live the most shallow of lives. They make no moral judgments about themselves and others, and, if we are tuned to the pulse of the play, neither do we. As in the song, they are what they are. But in the course of an intense, artfully crafted 90 minutes of theater, we are brought to a point of empathy.

As Is will be presented in the Ballet Met Performance Space (322 Mt. Vernon Ave., a short walk from campus) on

     Wednesday, May 14, at 8:00 p.m.
     Thursday, May 15, at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
     Friday, May 16, at 8:00 p.m.
     Saturday, May 17, at 8:00 p.m.

All performances are free, and open to the public. This drama is appropriate for adults only.

Posted:  May 12, 2008

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