A young man, newly diagnosed with AIDS, speaks directly to the audience as he struggles to understand what is happening—to his body, his future, and the people he may have touched. Written and first produced in Chicago in 1983, **ONE** is recognized as the first publicly produced theatrical work about AIDS. This intimate 30-minute monologue gave a human voice to the emerging crisis at a time when fear, misinformation, and silence dominated the public conversation. ## ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT Milwaukee-born playwright **Jeff Hagedorn** became an important voice in Chicago theater and one of the earliest dramatists to confront the AIDS epidemic. He wrote 11 plays, many dealing with AIDS and its effects on individuals and the community. Hagedorn died from AIDS-related illness in 1995. ## PERFORMANCES **Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.** **Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.** **Sunday, October 25 at 3 p.m.** Part of **BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY**, Open Space Arts’ three-week examination of theatrical works created in response to the AIDS crisis. **Open Space Arts** 1411 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago