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Lonely Planet

This compassionate play reveals friendship and fear in the age of AIDS. Jody is in his forties and runs a map store. Not one for the outside world, he stays in his store all the time. His friend, Carl is in his late thirties and has been bringing home chairs of dead friends into Jody’s store and leaving them there. When Jody has to take an AIDS test, Carl tries to convince him it is not only okay to leave the store, but that he must also take responsibility for his life. If he doesn’t, he will join the set of chairs that Carl has taken great pains to place in the right spots around the store. Through their interaction, the two realize how lucky they are to have such a strong lasting friendship. Jody finally leaves the map store to take the HIV test and returns to find Carl sitting in a chair of his own. With this gesture, we know that Carl has joined the many of their friends who have died, but now Jody must take Carl’s place as the caretaker.

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