Fast Forward

Fast Forward is a world premiere by members of the About Face Youth Theatre, directed by Paula Gilovich.

Fast Forward tells the true stories of the LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning, and Ally) community to explore the connection between the lack of comprehensive sex education in schools today and the impact of HIV and AIDS on the youth community.

Set against the backdrop of high school, Fast Forward depicts a world replete with gay-straight alliances, abstinence-until-marriage sex education, cyber-bullying, and gay prom. What has it meant for this generation to grow up in the era of HIV and AIDS? How has it affected the outcomes of their lives? Fast Forward bridges the generation gap between the start of the epidemic and now, and with the audience’s help, the ensemble envisions a leap into a better future.

In her senior year, Carolyn discovers that 50 out of the 400 girls at her high school have gotten pregnant. Born with HIV, Alex doesn’t feel comfortable confiding in her closest friends because she is afraid of being ostracized at school. James is consistently picked on by two bullies, but by the end of the play he convinces them to join the gay-straight alliance. Chris’ father takes him to therapists, priests, and psychiatrists in an effort to make Chris straight. When Chris’ father is diagnosed with cancer, he learns how to accept his son.