Baltimore Waltz By Paula Vogel: Play Analysis

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Baltimore Waltz written by Paula Vogel is a riveting and comical story about the love between a sister and a brother, and a metaphorical disease that tears the two apart. The plot takes place during the AIDs epidemic of the 1980s. In the beginning of the play, Ann becomes “infected” with the fictional Acquired Toilet Disease (a parody of AIDs), however, her brother, Carl, is the one with the real illness and is dying from AIDs. Throughout the play, Ann imagines her and her brother on a trip through Europe where she has intimate affairs with men in every country. A “Third Man” plays a large role in the script by being a doctor, Ann’s European lovers, and exchanges toy bunnies with Carl. As the fantasy of this play increases in oddity, the audience learns that Ann has been “waltzing” around the reality of her brother’s eventual death. This critically acclaimed show based on the real-life story of Vogel and her …show more content…

Baltimore Waltz is a fascinating memorial play that balances the likes of comedy and true-to-life heartbreak, all the while depicting the truth about the AIDs epidemic of the 1980s. Baltimore Waltz was composed nearly a year and a half after Vogel’s brother, Carl, succumbed to the AIDs virus in 1988. In 1986, Carl had asked Vogel to join him on a trip around Europe, in which Vogel explained in The Baltimore Sun article, “ Due to pressures of time and money, I declined, never dreaming that he was HIV-positive.” Vogel was originally abstinent about writing the story of her and her sibling due to their close bond, but after nearly a year and a half she decided to write it as a memorial piece (Rousuck). Understanding the events that took place during the 1980s AIDs epidemic is imperative to grasping the deep emotional turmoil and fear that took place, especially in understanding

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