The Miami Herald, Inc.; Sunday, March 30, 1997
Maria Camacho; Herald Staff Writer

"It's a social dilemma, and it's a writer's responsibility to illustrate society and its problems," she said.

Degrandy and her friend Marcos Miranda decided to stage a benefit to showcase the two plays, plus one more by Rafael Blanco. Now about 20 local actors, playwrights, directors and critics have joined them to put on six days of theater in Hialeah benefiting a Hispanic AIDS organization.

The first Hispanic AIDS Theater, three plays performed in Spanish with AIDS or HIV-related themes, will be held June 17-22 at Miami TV Production, a television studio in Hialeah. Tickets will cost $12, or $50 for the gala premieres, and proceeds will benefit the Latin American AIDS Coalition, which receives no government funding.

Miranda, who will also direct the play he wrote, said the organizers are members of Asociacion de Criticos y Comentaristas de las Artes, a group of art critics who promote Hispanic artists in South Florida.

"We are trying to educate the community about AIDS. There is still a lot of misinformation out there, especially in the Hispanic community," Miranda said. "It's the plague of our generation."

Although Hispanics make up about 10 percent of the nation's population, they account for 19 percent of AIDS cases, according to the National Council of La Raza, a Washington-based federation of Hispanic activist groups.

The Dade group has been meeting for about a month at the 22,000-square-foot studio located at 7395 W. 19th Ct. in West Hialeah to plan the event.

Degrandy said the response so far has been favorable.

"Since this is somehow detached, you can deal with it," she said. "Perhaps this is a way of indirectly getting the message across. If this person gives their time and concern, maybe I should, too."

Many familiar faces in Spanish-language theatrical productions are scheduled to perform, including Geraldo Riveron, Marta Jorge, and Pedro Renteria. The directors include Norma Rojas and Eduardo Padron.

In Miranda's play -- Antinoo, El Favorito -- a daughter reveals to her mother the dangers of her brother's promiscuous ways.

"She tells her mother that her brother must use condoms," Miranda said. "The mother is appalled at first, saying `How can you talk about such things?' but eventually the mother decides it is better to give him condoms to keep him alive."

For more information call 596-6888.

DONNA E. NATALE-PLANAS / Herald Staff READ-THROUGH: Actors Pedro Renteria, Rodolfo Jimenez and Marcela `Scarlata' Cardona, from left, share a light moment with director Marcos Miranda.

CAPTION: photo: Pedro Renteria and Rodolfo Jimenez and Marcela Cardona and Marcos Miranda (A)

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