It was a very moving experience. I had men on both sides of me crying during the second act.

5 Stars because after hearing about this play for what seems my entire life... I was amazed by the story and performances! Thought provoking and timeless and definitely accessible to anyone with a heart.

The performances were on point. I appreciated the set design and tone setting used for the different scenes.

ACT Theatre is very VERTICAL so if you're tall... opt for any seat away from the railiing.

A heartbreaking, passionate and powerful indictment of a world that ignored an epidemic for all the wrong reasons. Acted with intensity and talent that makes this tragic history a lesson for the future. Do not miss this ... see it wherever and whenever it appears again. Bravo, ACT. Bravo cast. And Bravo Larry Kramer.

"The Normal Heart" is a very intense, emotionally-wrecking, heart-wrenching play at A.C.T up in SF. I highly recommend this to see the travails and struggles of gay community grappling with AIDS in New York in the early 80s. Loves wrested from its full potential. Friendships lost. Of course, great acting as well. Go see it!

Moving and poignant play about those fighting on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic in New York.
Excellent story and acting.

Astonishing play, great production, great talkback afterward!

Great play, excellent acting!

It was one of the finest companies with every cast member doing first rate performances.

This was my first A.C.T. show and it was an amazing experience. Beautiful theatre, incredible production and everything in between. I can't speak on behalf of past and future productions, but based on this experience I'd highly recommend it.

Had seat in the balcony but was able to see everything perfectly. Being a play they weren't mic'd so was a tad hard to hear some things clerly but tinnnnnnnny detail compared to the entire afternoon.

A great story to be told with a lot of history, emotion and character. Theatrically, it was simple, but a lot was done with a little. One critique is that the actors always seemed to be yelling, but it also felt like they were trying to project their voices rather than use mics. It was hard to tell if actors were projecting, yelling or both at points.

Very powerful and informative. Incredible performances by the actors.

wonderful play, great acting

First rate drama!!! Powerful! Amazing acting!! Growing lists of those who did not survive AIDS was particularly effective; left the theatre stunned when the walls were full by the end of the play. Highly, highly recommend seeing this production, especially to those who remember the early, frantic,scary days.

Brilliant. Ferocious. Meticulously acted.

Incredible performance of an amazing play. Wonderful to see it brought to life for a whole new generation to know what it was like.

I love the transition, it's creative!

Still very timely. Amazing cast. The acting is brilliant. Bring tissue. My only "negative" is at times the piece gets preachy. I would go see it again.

normal heart is a very compelling story about the early beginnings of the AIDs epidemic as witnessed by one NYC writer/activist. powerful acting infused with passion and sprinkled with enough humor to give your tears a rest. after the show there was a chat session with cast and producer - very special.

One of the best, and most important plays I've seen in years. Excellent production acting, dialogue. Chilling and a reminder of how AIDS has
almost drifted from the radar screen.

This play was fabulous! Possibly the best play I've ever seen. It was so enlightening and such a heart wrenching tale. Matt McGrath's performance was great.

Fantastic play. Holds up well.

I left the theatre in tears of profound movement. Please go and see this show if you haven't, its absolutely incredible.

Outstanding - one of the best plays and productions I have seen.

An incredible night of excellent theatre...don't miss this one.

As someone who lost a partner to AIDS around the time of the play, it brought up mountains of emotions -- but I would not have wanted to miss seeing this production. Excellent!

Should be required viewing

Brilliant. Riveting. Saw it twice.

This is a very passionate and powerful play. There is a lot of well-deserved yelling. The characters are angry and should be. We ALL should be angry, especially considering that 30 years after it began, we have not made much progress in the fight against HIV/ AIDS.

Amazing play. A history lesson with great actors.

An important and moving play. Bring a hanky. Excellent actors all around, not a mediocre performance among them. A.C.T. does great stuff as long as it's not too existentialist and esoteric. (You wait for Godot, and I'll just be at the mall, OK?). Our orchestra section Goldstar seats for THE NORMAL HEART were INCREDIBLE! If you're doing Goldstar for any A.C.T. show, get orchestra seats. The balcony seats at the Curran Theater can be hit or miss, and you'll feel removed from the cast. You're already saving $ with Goldstar, so go for the orchestra section! You'll be glad you did.

Funny and uplifting and inspiring. A great play.

The play is the heart rending story of the AIDS epidemic/plague from the
very beginning and the people who tried to make it national news and of
national concern. We found it to be very well done. The acting was very
good - you had to wonder how these people manage to perform every
night and twice some days. They really seem to be living their parts.
Four stars.

A terrific theatrical experience. Fast paced, witty and very engaging. A superb production with a great cast.

This staging was near-perfection. Even from our Upper Ionosphere seating, the awesome power, amazing passion, and accomplished performing skills of the cast was easily palpable. And the years have only gilded the genius of Larry Kramer's writing. In a time when this plague seems to be taken as a mere inconvenience than mortal infection in some quarters of the gay community, his message rings truer than ever. A must-see not just for lovers of the stage but for anyone with any interest in sublimely intelligent entertainment.

Good acting and the play provides a historical perspective of aspects of the unfolding of the AIDS epidemic in New York for those not familiar with the era. I did not feel particularly invested in the presentation and was somewhat disappointed that I was not really moved emotionally. However, I did find the panel discussion post play worth the stay.

Excellent acting;engaging drama with bits of humor.

Great script. Great acting. Powerful. Thought-provoking. Still quite relevant.

The show was great! A very poignant, and true, story of the people invovled in the establishment of the Gay Men's Health Crisis at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It had a good mix between light humor and the raw, honest commentary about the tragedies of the time and failings of those capable of responding.

The theater upgraded our balcony seats to the orchestra, which was a wonderful surprise as well!

Good play but of course sad and reliving it for those of us that were in SF in the 80s.

One of the best sensitively written, directed and performed plays I have seen in over a decade.

Don't miss it...

Provocative story of the retelling of the early AIDs epidemic
powerful performances

The play, though a very sad one, is an important one and a key event in gay history. Bring your kleenex but also be prepared to see some great acting; some of the best I've seen in live theatre in a long time.

A historically important play, done pretty well.

One major flaw was the stage direction. The performers spoke quickly and too often *faced the back of the stage instead of the audience*! This was the first time (I'm a very long-time theater-goer) I've seen a play in which speeches were made with back to audience. Really hard to hear and distinguish the words. If the actors had just walked behind the person they were addressing, they would have been able to turn to the audience. Very very big problem.

Going through it all in SF I couldnt help but think how things went a bit different here.

I think it was deeply moving for many that lived through the 80's and lost many friends. I could tell by all the crying on exiting the theater. For me, there was just too much yelling and anger from the characters. The acting was good, but since the dialogue from the main character was spoken so fast, I was lost when I didn't pay close attention.

Deeply moving. Important.

If you lost a loved one in the AIDS epidemic (who hasn't?), this searing play id for you. Congratulations to the outstanding cast and crew for reminding us it's not over.

The Normal Heart started out awkwardly. I don't know why the director had his actors speaking very very quickly, in a stilted, rote manner. It seemed -- at first -- that everyone was bored acting in the play and they were determined to get through the performance as quickly as possible. An odd directorial decision which still perplexes me. THE GOOD NEWS: this is a powerful play, and soon enough the audience is swept into it. We are engaged, we are horrified, we are saddened, we are moved. The decision not to make it a "period piece " (i.e., the decision to dress the characters in non-descript non-period-defined clothing) was a good one, because even with all the sweeping changes about AIDS and homosexuality since this play was written, homophobia is alive and well. The friend I attended this play with had to turn a job down just a few months ago because he would have been working under an extremely homophobic foreman. I would have given this play five stars but for the stilted way it began, but this is otherwise a 5-star play.

Outstanding quality of production - acting, scenic, costume, etc. A surprisingly relevant revamp, really remarkable. I recommend to any and all.

This was a terrific play and the performances were very strong. I would highly recommend this play to anyone.

Wonderful!! Loved it!! Left angry at our society!!

Intense experience. A window into the fear and frustration associated with gays in the early 70's attempting to get the medical community and the government to engage in the AIDS epidemic.

This was one of the most poignant and powerful plays I've seen in awhile.

Powerful play -- thought-provoking and insightful. Examines how it is that the AIDS epidemic did not get the attention and resources that could have saved lives. The acting was a bit uneven, so there were times that I was too aware that actors were playing characters. It took me out of the experience of the play. Nonetheless, I'm glad I went.

Having lived through the early stages of this epidemic the struggle was familiar to me but not to my 13 year son. The Normal Heart gave us a way to discuss how fear can completely destroy our compassion for one another. We also discussed what is it today that we are 'seeing' but not 'seeing'. The list of names throughout the play was a dramatic reminder of all we have lost.

Amazing performances, great set and lighting. Very moving, one of the best shows this year.

While not a great play, "The Normal Heart" is an important play, and this production originally directed by George C. Wolfe, deserves all of the respect and attention it has received so far. Kramer captures with deft capability the fears, frustrations and overwhelming sadness of the 1980s gay community beset with its own insecurity, sense of itself, rejection by a vicious greater community and struggle with an inexplicable disease that no one of authority in the government or medical community cared to study. Meanwhile, tens then hundreds then thousands die. Kramer presents all of this extraordinarily well.

Reasonably good ACT show about the advent of AIDS and its impact on the NYC Gay community. Quality acting. Not much of a set. Not miked, which was nice and 97% intelligible in the nosebleed section. The play is more polemical and didactic than I care for. The balance was too far on the side of strident, as opposed to soft.

the best of all the plays dealing with 'IT'. Brilliantly staged and delivered.

Don't waste your time. It's a poorly directed production. Bring earplugs for the second act-all they do is yell.

Powerful!

Well acted, extremely moving and a piece of recent history that should be remembered for future lessons.

Wonderful revival of this amazing play. The actors are tremendously talented and kept us riveted to the story until the curtain came down!

Stunning performances. Sharp, innovative, evocative. Positively brilliant!!! Not to be missed

Cast was pitch perfect...so engrossing, I was surprised to fnd it over so quickly. Sadly, the script remains relevant, and the letter from the author distributed upon leaving brought that home. The after-performance session led by Senator Mark Leno was poignant, and the stories they revealed carried the play further into the present. Thank you for an inspiring afternoon.

Incredibly powerful & moving! A true message to take to heart..

Really enjoyed the production. It's an emotional, intense piece and really makes you think. I definitely recommend it.

A moving, well-acted and staged account of one of our country's darkest periods of history. Enraging and inspiring, although Kramer's note handed out at the end reminds us that much evil has transpired and much work remains to be done.

An incredibly powerful and moving piece of theatrical brilliance, this play is provocative, engaging and beautifully acted. Larry Kramer's message resonates perfectly - if only the world would listen...

Having lived and survived thus far, at almost ground zero of the AIDS crisis, our perspective matches Mr. Kramer's perfectly. If one can live long enough, one can become quite wise. And if your goal in life is to use that wisdom to educate and enlighten mankind, you will be remembered forever. Larry Kramer will never be forgotten.

If you see this play you will remember the experience forever.

Powerful! Excellent! Very well acted!

This play is so important not only for a brilliant dramatic piece, but a vital historical comment on the tragedy of how our government responded to the plague of the 1980s. This production dramatically displays the physical and emotional horrors of the times with strong performances by a talented ensemble, with outstanding performances by Patrick Breen and Jordan Baker. The deep intensity of Stanley Kramer's script is truly a theatrical classic!

Fantastic acting throughout - a poignant "real life" story, a totally involving play and the time flew by.

Great show strong and powerful acting and cast!!! a must see!!! will be going back to see again!!

Amazing energy and incredible cast. A Normal Heart is as important today as it ever was. A clear view of how politics play into every aspect of our life. A shameful, dark time when young people were dying and except for a very few, no one seemed to care.

Excellent theatre telling an important story that reminds us how much more needs to be done--an amazing and moving experience.

What an Amazing and powerfully production ! this play really moves you and the acting is fantastic I'll see it again

Great show on what happened in the 80s with AIDS and the present day reverberations.

This play holds up well, but I found myself feeling very weary of the over-the-top performances. Several of the actors, including the lead do so much shouting of their lines that it is literally exhausitng to be on the receiving end. I believe that the almost constant shouting diminishes the impact of the lines and content.

I saw the Tony Award winning production on Broadway in 2011 and this perfromance was as good. Go see this play! It is an important work, so we will not forget what occurred in those very dark days at the start of the AIDS pandemic! Powerful theater!

I know this play well even owning a copy of the script, dog eared from frequent reading. The history of the show is outstanding and well drawn. The connections made to issues like fighting for marriage equality and health care as a right not a privilege to name a few, show how relevant this story still is today. Truly an inspiring ensemble cast piece that didn't disappoint. Matt McGrath as Felix Turner was excellent first drawing me in to care about Felix then tearing my heart out. Sean Dugan as Tommy Boatright shined delivering with flawless precision several memorable lines and moments with a perfect balance of comic and dramatic timing. Jordan Baker delivered as Dr. Emma Brookner a huge range of theatrical motion from a character bound by her circumstances and her paralysis. I did have some issues with the set and staging. The white on white statistical backdrop were to my taste a bit too subtle, hard to read, and not quite in your face enough to bolster the shows message. The blocking at times seemed two dimensional with a lot of walking from left to right and back again lacking textual motivation that I found distracting.

All that said it is a very good production that could still use some directorial tweaking but is a worth while evenings entertainment; both thought provoking and sincere. Go see it.

Excellent and education play. A must for the world to know. It feels like a true representation of past events. It moved a bit to fast especially in the beginning.

touching, moving, amazing, a still much needed call to arms! Bravo

"The Normal Heart" was about frustration, humor, anger and love, and completely engrossing. Very powerful! The actors had me right from the beginning and I never even thought about them acting but as real people and situations. Easy to see and hear from the mezzanine. I at first hesitated seeing it, thinking it would be depressing, but the only depressing thing would have been if I had missed it. One of the best performances I have seen in a while. It really is a must see.

This is a play full of anger and deep sadness - and it's tremendous. Much of the audience was in tears after it ended. Everyone should see this play, about basic human rights and the need to stand up and be recognized, in a world that doesn't seem to care. Incredible.

Even though it's nearly 30 years since this play first premiered, "The Normal Heart" is still incredibly powerful and relevant. Acting was very intense, even if some of the direction seemed a bit rushed. A powerful performance that really communicated the urgency, helplessness, and yes, anger of the day.

It is an 'important' play in that it is a little-told true story about the first few years of the AIDS crisis before a virus was found, when confusion fear homophobia and apathy reigned. The tone is very angry and preachy (as is Larry Kramer, who is portrayed in the lead role). It occasionally has wonderful angry speeches, but they are less powerful than they could be being surrounded by countless other not-so-well-written angry speeches. The acting is solid but not of the caliber that won two 2011 acting Tony's (and a 3rd nomination).

First rate acting in this production. One of the better productions i have seen at ACT. Several of the monlogues were gut-wrenching. Powerful play that brings back the history of this horrid plague. Dramatic but with some ironic comedy every so often.

I wasn't that impressed with it. The actors had to shout. something about the lack of microphones? I don't know. Also our seats were awful. last row in the mezzanine. Not comfortable. You know, I don't even think I would recommend the play which realy surprises me

it suffers from its conception in a time of emergency; it was an activist call to arms but now seems a little cartoony & ever-so-narcistic despite Larry Kramer's attempt to make his alter ego neurotically human.

Very strong, very compelling and very disturbing play.
I think everyone should watch it to understand the world we live in.

moving performances that will benefit from a bit more polish.

this was an amazing performance and a very intense and riviting play. i would not suggest sitting any higher than mezz level, and it was hard hearing all the dialogue from that level.

The play has a good story, excellent acting, and fine pacing. I thought the content might be dated, but it soared above the calendar and continues to be current.

Still as powerful as it was over 30 years ago. Well done. Great direction. The set was simple but the walls were very impressive. The walls were white but carved into them the whole history of AIDS. If you sit in the balcony be sure to bring binoculars because from up there it looks like blank walls.

This was one of the best theater experiences we've ever had. Outstanding production, thoughtful and moving material, excellent acting. Almost right up there with "The Laramie Project" at Berkeley Rep, which was probably our all-time favorite. One caution--the dialogue is something one wants to hear every word of, and it's a strain if you're not sitting close to the stage. I suggest using one of their audio sets.

This production of The Normal Heart was, to say the least, impacting. It was very well portrayed by the actors. The music down to the visual effects of the hundreds of names of people that have died from the epidemic. to the wall of the set. It was simply magnificent and I would definitely see it again.

Awesome!

Wow. What a powerhouse. The intensity I've come to expect from ACT. The set was metaphorically amazing. The play was hard hitting. And the acting was captivating. I not only cried during the last part of the play, I cried all the way down the road afterwards. Kudos.

Powerful play that will eave you shaken with emotion for a long time! I couldn't tear my eyes from the stage. The actors were incredible and the storyline, moving.
I'd recommend this play as both an enlightening historical piece and eye-opening drama.
Worth every minute and penny spent.

Beautifully acted and well written - the play brought back all of the emotion of a very trying period in American history. Everyone should see the play to either be reminded or to learn the important lessons from this period.