Based on a true story, The Zona Rosa Project explores Mexico’s
developing attitude to H.I.V.-positive individuals as well as the
remarkable evolution of gay rights in the deeply Catholic
country. The project’s launching point is the life of Dr.
Francisco Estrada Valle (1957-1992) whose murder has never been
solved.
Dr. Francisco Estrada Valle (1956-1992) grew up with 10 brothers
and sisters in a small mining town in Mexico called Zacqualpan.
He received his training as a medical doctor at The University of
Guanajuato.
In 1990 Dr. Francisco Estrada Valle founded Ayuda Voluntaria
Educativa de Mexico (AVE), a non-governmental organization that
promotes the education of doctors, nurses and other medical
professionals on the subjects of AIDS, discrimination, and
homophobia. AVE’s objective is to improve information,
comprehension, and attitudes towards sex without stigma to
promote self-respect in conduct and tolerance towards people who
have contracted HIV. It also operates a health line and a free
clinic. Estrada Valle became one of Mexico’s first AIDS activists
and challenged both the government and the press. His program on
Human Sexuality and HIV/AIDS was named in his honor after he was
found murdered in a homophobic hate crime that has never been
solved. AVE has now held this course for 20 years with more than
1,000 graduates. It was awarded the honor of “Best Practice” by
the AIDS National Program of Mexico in 2002 and is now partly
government funded. After Estrada Valle’s death his mother Alicia
became one of the foremost advocates against discrimination and
homophobia in Mexico.
A talk-back with the director, dramaturges Professor Jon D.
Rossini and Christina Novakov-Ritchey, and Ph.D. Resource
Carolina Novella Centellas will be held after the performance on
Saturday, October 15. Please check back for possible
additional talk-backs to be posted on this page.
This production is rated PG-13. It contains frank
discussions of homosexuality including intricacies of the sexual
act.
Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15 | 8pm
Sunday, October 16 | 2pm
Wyatt Pavilion Theatre
This workshop production is free of charge.
