“˜Dementia’ looks at taboo issues

Not everyone these days is comfortable cleaning the skeletons
out of their closets ““ for instance the issues of
homosexuality and AIDS can still be touchy.

The Latino Theatre Company, however, with its latest production
titled “Dementia,” is hoping to create an awareness and
understanding in the Latino community, which, according to company
members, is in denial of the existence of homosexuality and AIDS
among its members.

The production, which will be on stage through Oct. 20 at the
Tom Bradley Theatre, follows the story of Moe, a homosexual Latino
who is dying of AIDS, his struggle in finding acceptance within the
community and love in general.

“Homosexuality and AIDS is a big taboo in our community.
We don’t talk about it, and, consequently, it’s as if
it doesn’t exist,” said Jose Luis Valenzuela, director
of “Dementia” and artistic director of the Latino
Theatre Company.

“Bisexuality is a big thing, so our numbers of people who
have been infected by AIDS are increasing,” he continued.
“Many women are getting infected because their husbands have
relationships with men, and they don’t tell them ““ they
just don’t talk about it. “

Valenzuela, who is also a theater professor at UCLA, said that
“Dementia” strives to create a dialogue in the Latino
community, which is for the most part entirely conservative when it
comes to anything other than heterosexuality.

“Within the Latino community there is a high percentage of
people that are dying of AIDS,” said Tonantzin Esparza, a
fifth-year theater student at UCLA, who plays Moe’s
16-year-old niece in the play. “A lot of their families are
ashamed to say that they did die of AIDS, so instead they say that
they died of pneumonia or cancer, or other illnesses that they may
have contracted through the course of having AIDS.”

“Dementia,” however, does not solely focus on the
issues of homosexuality and AIDS within the Latino culture.
Valenzuela and Esparza both said that there are many wider themes
treated in “Dementia” that any audience member could
relate to.

“The play deals with the issues of sexuality and
homosexuality, but also on a larger scale, just the idea of the
search for love within all the characters,” Esparza said.
“It brings out everyone’s own issues that they are
dealing with as a person.”

According to Evelina Fernandez, who was commissioned to write
the play by the Mark Taper Forum Latino Theatre Initiative, and who
stars in the play as Raquel, Moe’s neurotic ex-wife,
“Dementia” draws upon true events.

“”˜Dementia’ is loosely based on a real-life
experience I had when Jose Luis’ best friend died of AIDS
seven years ago,” she said in a phone interview from the
playhouse. “The main character is based on our close friend
… who is an artist full of life and pretty crazy with a really
funny sense of humor.”

Many of these comedic moments take place when Moe switches over
to his alter ego, a sexy, singing drag queen named Lupe. Esparza
added that though “Dementia” should not be considered a
musical, there is live music throughout the show and a few live
numbers from Lupe.

Though smoothly integrating the humorous moments with the
serious subject matter would seem the most difficult aspect of this
type of play, Valenzuela said that for him the difficulty lay in
providing the audience with complete, real characters.

“It’s very difficult to try to give it the right
balance, where homosexuality and gay people are whole human beings
and not the stereotypes,” he said. “I hope I achieve
that so somebody who is heterosexual can come and see the play and
not feel like they are looking at something that’s strange or
weird but something that they can relate to and
understand.”

THEATER: “Dementia” opens today at the Tom Bradley
Theatre, Los Angeles Theatre Center at 514 S. Spring St. Shows are
Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on
Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $21-$24, and $16 for students and
seniors. To purchase tickets call (213) 473-0560.

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