Two men begin an intimate relationship through a series of late-night telephone calls. What starts as anonymous sexual fantasy gradually develops into something deeper—a connection shaped by humor, tenderness, imagination, and the rapidly changing world around them. Written in 1986, **JERKER** is one of the defining theatrical works to emerge from the AIDS crisis. Frank, provocative, and unexpectedly moving, the play celebrates gay sexuality while revealing the profound human need for intimacy and connection. Open Space Arts presents **JERKER** in recognition of the play’s **40th anniversary**. **Robert Chesley** was a playwright, composer, critic, author, and activist whose work celebrated gay sexuality while confronting the emotional and spiritual toll of AIDS. He wrote more than 30 plays, including **NIGHT SWEAT**, one of the earliest full-length dramas about the AIDS crisis. Chesley died from AIDS-related illness in San Francisco in 1990 at the age of 47. His influential work continues to challenge shame, censorship, and the erasure of gay experience. Part of **BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY**, Open Space Arts’ three-week examination of theatrical works created in response to the AIDS crisis. **JERKER contains explicit sexual language and mature subject matter.**