Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - October 4, 2006
Marta Barber, mbarber@MiamiHerald.com
Such is the friendship of Jody (Daniel Lugo) and Carl (Matthew Glass), two gay men struggling with loss and fear in the days when the AIDS crisis was both growing and had little to offer in the way of hope.
Steven Dietz's Lonely Planet, presented by Alliance Theatre Lab in Miami Lakes, is one of the many powerful plays written during the years when the nation was struggling with a mysterious illness. But instead of addressing the subject of pain and loss between lovers, Dietz shows us friends who try to make life more pleasant for each other as they face the unknown.
Jody, a map-shop owner, is quiet, the more introspective and intellectual of the two. He is so afraid of the reality flowing out of the news about AIDS that he has opted to stay cloistered in his shop.
His dreams become fodder for conversation with Carl, a jovial fellow with the odd habit of collecting chairs. Carl is not straightforward about his job -- or as a matter of fact about much else -- but these ''lies,'' which infuriate Jody, help Carl hold onto a needed sense of irony.
The first act of the two-act play concentrates on establishing the friendship and each character, while the second builds up the drama with the two men facing the reality of AIDS.
The stronger half of Dietz's award-winning play is the character of Carl, who is made more appealing via Glass' fine performance. It is hard to take your eyes off the actor, who shows a complete understanding of the character. The only time Glass falters in a nearly flawless delivery is when he talks to the audience about the burden of paperwork and loss of jobs faced by those who develop AIDS. Director Adalberto J. Acevedo could have just cut this scene, which not only dates but also unnecessarily lengthens the play.
Lugo has more problems in portraying Jody. He's often still, and even his expression of Jody's fears isn't as moving as it should be.
Despite its flaws, Acevedo's Lonely Planet taps into Dietz's engaging dramatic power. With the AIDS epidemic continuing worldwide, plays like Lonely Planet are all too relevant -- and would feel even more so with a little editing.
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