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Open Space Arts presents a special one-night-only staged reading of Robin Swados's groundbreaking 1986 drama, A QUIET END, as part of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY: AIDS on Stage — 40 Years of Queer Voices.Written during the devastating early years of the AIDS epidemic, A Quiet End tells an intimate and deeply moving story of friendship, love, illness, and the struggle to preserve dignity and humanity in the face of unimaginable loss.
Set in New York City during the 1980s, the play follows three gay men sharing an apartment as AIDS transforms their lives. As the outside world responds with fear, indifference, and prejudice, these men confront illness and uncertainty while holding on to their relationships, memories, humor, and love for one another.
At once heartbreaking and filled with humanity, A Quiet End reminds us that behind the statistics of the epidemic were real people: friends, lovers, neighbors, and chosen families whose lives mattered.
First produced in 1986, the play returns to the stage four decades later, offering Chicago audiences an opportunity to experience this important work in a special anniversary presentation.
THE CAST
Shaun Rosten as Tony
Tim Bruns as Max
Zack Chaykin as Jason
Caden Zane Marshall as Billy
Cindy Circo Zahora as the Doctor and Stage Directions
Directed by Rauly Luna
Stage Managed by Riley Bulson
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — 7:30 PM
Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
Admission: Pay What You Can
Seating is limited in our intimate Uptown theater. Advance reservations are encouraged.
ABOUT BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY
A Quiet End is part of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY: AIDS on Stage — 40 Years of Queer Voices, presented by Open Space Arts from October 23 through November 8.
This ambitious theater project revisits four plays written during the earliest decades of the AIDS crisis, allowing today's audiences to experience the voices of playwrights who confronted an unfolding catastrophe through their art.
The series includes:
ONE by Jeff Hagedorn — October 23–25
BLOOD SPILL by Lee Raines — October 23–25
JERKER by Robert Chesley — October 29–November 8
A QUIET END by Robin Swados — November 3
Together, these works explore the evolution of the epidemic from its earliest frightening uncertainty through the anger, activism, courage, intimacy, and resilience of those who lived through it.
The project also recognizes and supports the continuing work of the Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus, Vivent Health and TPAN, and Season of Concern.
WHY THIS PLAY MATTERS TODAY
Forty years after A Quiet End was written, a new generation has grown up without directly experiencing the early years of AIDS.
For those who lived through that period, the play may bring back memories of friends and loved ones, and the extraordinary ways communities came together when institutions failed them.
For younger audiences, it offers a deeply personal window into an era that helped shape contemporary LGBTQ+ life, activism, health care, and identity.
These stories are not simply history. They are part of who we are today.
Join us for this extraordinary one-night-only presentation.
Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago
Tickets and information: www.openspacearts.org
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1411 W. Wilson, Chicago, IL, United States, Illinois 60640
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