MasquerAIDS Returns to the Live Stage
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Live theater had been put on hold for much of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Penn State Thespian Society is returning to the stage Feb. 9 for its 20th annual MasquerAIDS fundraiser.
MasquerAIDS is a cabaret, a mix of songs and dances, that raises money for the Centre County AIDS Resource Center. After two years of primarily virtual shows, performer Kelly McGarrey said she is looking forward to presenting the powerful songs and choreography of MasquerAIDS in-person.
“I’m so excited to get on stage again and to let other people see it,” said McGarrey, a junior studying secondary English education. “We’re all making sure that we stay healthy and safe.”
All performers will wear N-95, KN-95 or two masks throughout the performance in accordance with the Penn State Performing Arts Council guidelines.
The show is the primary external fundraiser for the AIDS Resource Center and raised $3,140 last year, despite being virtual. In 2020, the event was in-person and raised $3,945, the most in MasquerAIDS history. Wes Chicko, the practice manager and outreach specialist at the AIDS Resource Center since 2018, said that there has been a rich history of HIV/AIDS activism in the theater world.
“The MasquerAIDS organizers have always done a really great job of making the presentation, songs and dramatic pieces have a real connection to our work,” Chicko said. “The program spreads awareness that HIV is still an issue for a lot of people.”
The Centre County AIDS Resource Center provides services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Centre County, such as helping with housing and the cost of medications. It also offers HIV testing and education to Centre County residents.
Chicko said he was relieved that “HIV is no longer a death sentence,” and that people with HIV can still live long, healthy lives because of research, outreach and education efforts over the past few decades.
It has been 40 years since AIDS was identified in the United States, so the MasquerAIDS producers, Kelly Bench and Noel Guidetti, chose the theme “Ready, Set, Grow” to highlight what strides have been made to combat the virus since then.
“‘Ready, Set, Grow’ is saying that we have grown a lot in the past two years that we were virtual, the past 20 years as MasquerAIDS, the past 40 years as a community who supports HIV and AIDS research, and the past 180 years as a Thespian Society,” said Bench, a junior in public relations.
The MasquerAIDS set list consists of songs from popular productions such as “The Greatest Showman,” “High School Musical 2” and “Hairspray” that relate to growth.
“Growth is a very powerful thing, and there are some moving songs that I think will leave an emotional impact on the audience,” said Jacob Malizio, director who described his role as being the “obstetrician” of the show.
Malizio, a sophomore in public relations and theater studies, said he enjoys having the artistic power to reflect the visions in his head onto the stage, especially for a show that has such a long history of supporting the HIV/AIDS cause.
Andrew Lapeire, a junior studying marketing, has produced MasquerAIDS in the past but said he will be watching the show from the audience this year.
“The show inspires and expands the knowledge of the community,” said Lapeire. “MasquerAIDS welcomes anyone from any aspect of life to come educate themselves about this important issue and experience the great talent at Penn State University.”
The show will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 8 in Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center. Tickets cost $5 each and can be purchased at the door. There will be additional opportunities to donate, and all proceeds will go to the Centre County AIDS Resource Center.
