A custom-made gown adorned with ribbons and red sequins, free HIV testing with same-day results and one of the most influential plays ever written about the AIDS epidemic are among the events bringing celebration, education and reflection to Peekskill throughout Pride Month.
The initiative is organized by Studio Theater in Exile (STIE), housed at Hudson Valley MOCA, 1701 Main St., in collaboration with Peekskill Pride. Activities will begin June 6 with Status: Fierce and Informed, a free event focused on HIV prevention, screening and treatment, and will continue June 12-28 with performances of The Normal Heart, the autobiographical play by activist Larry Kramer.
The June 6 event will be led by Amber Guesa, the stage persona of New Rochelle resident Liam Bohan, who has performed throughout Westchester for the past decade. For the last three years, he has also served as a spokesperson for the HIV Stops with Me campaign. During the event, Bohan will share his experience living with HIV and participate in an educational discussion about the realities of the disease alongside other campaign spokespersons.
The two-hour program will feature a music-filled drag performance, a question-and-answer session, Bohan’s personal story and a mobile testing unit from The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center offering free HIV and hepatitis C screenings. Test results will be available before the event concludes. Testing will be provided at no cost.
In addition to the screening unit, community organizations will be available to answer questions and provide resources. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take photographs with Amber Guesa throughout the event.
Bohan also works at The Ally Care Center, where he is involved in HIV testing, primary care, mental health services and prevention programs. “The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center saved my life when I was 21,” Bohan said. “The fact they hired me in 2023 got me invigorated to say, this is my purpose.”
Pride programming will continue June 12 with The Normal Heart, a play that explores one man’s fight to draw attention to the epidemic that devastated the gay community during the 1980s. Performances will take place at Studio Theater in Exile, housed within Hudson Valley MOCA Arts, through June 28.
The production is directed by Tom Kramer and features Amanda Bloom, Nic Calaboro, Steve Cruz, Ed Friedman, George Croom, Gavino Olvera, Eric Percival and Neil Schleifer. Carrie Ford serves as stage manager. Associate co-producers include Peekskill artist Carla Ray Johnson and Cynthia Knox, chief executive officer of Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP), alongside producer Jeremy Gratt and Artistic Director Mara Mills.
Mills said both events are part of the theater’s annual Pride Month programming. “Every year, Studio Theater in Exile at HVMOCA, in collaboration with Peekskill Pride, dedicates June to Pride performances and education programs.” She added that Bohan’s participation represents “a meaningful start to the celebration, and a great introduction to The Normal Heart performances.”
Originally produced Off-Broadway in 1985 and later premiering on Broadway in 2011, The Normal Heart follows Ned Weeks as he demands that government officials, the media and medical professionals address a mysterious disease that was claiming the lives of gay men, primarily in New York City. The story also examines family conflict, discrimination, love and activism during a public health crisis that shaped an entire generation.
For organizers, the play’s significance extends beyond its historical setting. Brian Fassett, founder and vice president of Peekskill Pride, said presenting the work today is “not an act of looking back; it’s an urgent reminder of where we still are,” noting that tens of thousands of people are newly diagnosed with HIV each year in the United States and that approximately 1.3 million people worldwide continue to acquire HIV annually.
Charlie DiGruccio, president of Peekskill Pride, said the play reminds audiences of “the courage, resilience, and activism of those who lived through the early HIV/AIDS crisis,” while underscoring the continuing need to advocate for treatment access, education and a cure.
The events are part of a continuing partnership between STIE and Peekskill Pride, a community organization that grew from a support network formed by local LGBTQ+ residents in 2016. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2019, Peekskill Pride works to foster safe, healthy and supportive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and allies through education, advocacy and celebration.
Performances of The Normal Heart will take place Fridays, June 12, 19 and 26, at 7 p.m.; Saturdays, June 13 and 20, at 7 p.m.; Sundays, June 14 and 21, at 3 p.m.; and Sunday, June 28, at 4 p.m.
For more information, contact Mara Mills at [email protected] or (914) 525-2447. Additional information about Peekskill Pride is available at www.peekskillpride.org. Information about the HIV Stops With Me campaign can be found at www.hivstopswithme.org, and information about The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center is available at wmchealth.org. Tickets for The Normal Heart are available through the Studio Theater in Exile website.
