Through a combination of songs, dances and performance pieces, the first annual AIDS Show put a new spin on AIDS education at its Saturday night performance in Steinberg Auditorium. The name for the show not only signified the serious subject matter, but also came from the show’s fitting subtitle: “Artistic Interpretation Designed to Stimulate.”

The show was a product of collaboration between the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, Senior Class Council and Washington University HIV Outreach Prevention Education (Wash U HOPE).

Wash U HOPE Program Leader Jami Crespo, a senior, presented opening remarks for the evening, during which she said that she felt lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the group.

Crespo explained that HIV/AIDS affects more people than many realize. When she began working with Wash U HOPE, Crespo did not personally know any people who had been infected with the disease. AIDS affects some 40 million individuals worldwide, according to the United Nations.

As she explained to the audience, Crespo has since learned that her uncle is HIV positive.

“When you have individuals in your life who become affected by this, it really changes your perspective. It’s increased my drive and my commitment to this cause,” said Crespo.

After the show, Crespo explained that the event had been organized out of a desire to make HIV and AIDS education more accessible to the student audience.

“We wanted to educate them and inspire them to do something about HIV/AIDS,” said Crespo.

The AIDS Show attracted the attention of the Sigma Nu fraternity, whose entire spring pledge class was in attendance. Junior Ben Kornfeld, a Sigma Nu member, organized the outing.

“I thought it would be a really good thing to get the pledge class aware of some of the things going on around campus and get involved in supporting other groups,” said Kornfeld. “I really enjoyed it, and I think [the pledges] did, too.”

Junior Ameet Thaker also attended the show and was pleased to have it included in the pledge class’ activities.

“It sounded like a good performance and a good way to start off our pledge program,” said Thaker, who is also a member of the fraternity.

Preparations for the educational event began last semester. A number of technical details had to be overcome, Crespo explained, but the most difficult task was putting together a slate of performers that would educate as well as bring to life the stories of those affected by the disease.

Performances during the evening included a number of presentations from campus student groups as well as local area groups. Counselors from the Uncle Joe’s Peer Counseling Program read statements from those coping with a positive HIV diagnosis. Club CHIPS, a St. Louis area health activism group, presented a dramatic scene in which performers took the roles of those who had recently died of AIDS and returned to tell their cautionary tales. The Cultural Diversity Players, a student acting group that aims to address issues of cultural awareness, performed two scenes adapted from the 1993 movie “Philadelphia.”

Senior Ozie Goodwin, president of the Cultural Diversity Players, described the scenes as “two of the more powerful scenes in ‘Philadelphia,’” and explained that they were chosen for the frank way in which they addressed issues of homosexuality, homophobia and HIV/AIDS.

“To actually see it all come together and have the Players be a part of it made me feel proud,” said Goodwin.

The night also included performances by student performing groups the Stereotypes and WUStyle.

Individual performers included senior Danielle Silber and freshman Emily Ginsberg, who presented dramatic monologues, and junior Deirdre O’Rourke, who sang “Anytime” from the musical “A New Brain.”

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