Last week Edmonton’s Walterdale Theatre opened its doors to its latest production, Jeffrey, which looks at a gay man’s struggle to do away with sex. Sarah Van Tassel, co-director of, the show that runs until Valentine’s Day, took the time to chat with GayCalgary about the piece, its history and what it means to the community.

GC: Can you tell our readers a bit of the background to the Jeffrey storyline?

SVT: Jeffrey is about a young gay man in NYC in the ’90s. He has decided to become celibate, as the idea of dating under the cloud of HIV is too much for him. Like all good romantic comedies, this is exactly when he meets the right guy.

GC: What has it been like bringing this performance to life?

SVT: This is a really fun script. It has been great finding the laughs, but also digging in and finding the heart of this piece. We have got a great cast and dedicated crew that have been working really hard to bring this show together.

GC: What have been some of the greatest challenges?

SVT: It’s hard to comprehend the AIDS epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s if you didn’t live through it. Literally watching your group of friends, lovers and colleagues get sick and die over a short period of time – when there was so little known about the disease and even doctors were afraid of it. And although this play is a comedy, we didn’t want to gloss over the history, or make light of the situation.

GC: This is such an emotionally driven story; was it easy to translate into such a powerful performance?

SVT: I think we all understand being afraid. We may not understand Jeffrey’s particular experience, nor the extremes he goes to deal with it, but fearing to love and the struggle to overcome one’s fear is universal.

GC: What are cast and crew hoping for the audience to take away from the performances?

SVT: You can’t hide from life. It gets messy – people get sick and die – but you need to live your life. I hope people walk out of the theatre with a smile, having had a fun time, and remembering to tell their loved ones that they love them.

GC: What can theatre arts fans look forward to seeing in 2015?

SVT: I think we’re willing to take a few more risks, and risk-taking leads to more provocative and entertaining theatre. I know when I go to a show I want to see something that pushes the envelope and makes people think... and that’s what we’re trying for with this show.

GC: Is there anything else you would like to share about this performance and what it means to you to share it with the community?

SVT: HIV and AIDS research, and the public’s understanding thereof, has come a long way, but there is still more that needs to be done. We need to become Heroes for Zero – and zero means zero infections, zero discrimination and zero deaths. By supporting companies like HIV Edmonton and the Calgary Coalition on HIV/AIDS we can get there. This is an important story as it’s a part of our present, not just our past.