Gay USA: May 03, 2011

Our guest this week is Larry Kramer, one of the pre-eminent gay and AIDS activists in the world, co-founder of both GMHC and ACT UP. An Oscar-nominated writer for "Women in Love" and the author of numerous books, his searing 1985 play "The Normal Heart" about the early days of the AIDS crisis, is having its Broadway debut and just garnered five Tony nominations for Best Revival of a Play, Best Direction of a Play (Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe), Best Actor in a Play (Joe Mantello as Ned Weeks), Best Supporting Actor in a Play (John Benjamin Hickey as Felix Turner), and Best Supporting Actress in a Play (Ellen Barkin as Dr. Emma Brookner). The production also features Patrick Breen, Mark Harelik, Luke Macfarlane, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, Richard Topol, and Wayne Alan Wilcox. It is a must-see play in a limited 12-week run that ends July 12. Larry tells us about how this Broadway production came together more than 25 years after it was a hit at the Public Theatre. We'll talk about the continuing worldwide plague of AIDS, the state of the LGBT movement, and the progress on Larry's epic novel. We are honored to have Larry Kramer on "Gay USA." He joins us for the last quarter of our show.