←Recommendations of Shake the Disease

  • Scott Sickles: Shake the Disease by Leif Larson
    “

    Absolutely riveting, sometimes confounding (in a good way!), stirringly moving, eerily sexy, unsettling and suspenseful.

    I have questions! And I enjoy pondering them. More than once, they play presents conflicting versions of events from urban legends to intimate memories that may or may not have been shared, to death in close quarters.

    Larson instantly puts us in 1989 with the beloved “you never heard about these killings?” horror movie trope, and takes us on a ride from there, playing with time, tone, and a Styx t-shirt!

    An exquisite, horrifying, beautiful puzzle of a play!

    Absolutely riveting, sometimes confounding (in a good way!), stirringly moving, eerily sexy, unsettling and suspenseful.

    I have questions! And I enjoy pondering them. More than once, they play presents conflicting versions of events from urban legends to intimate memories that may or may not have been shared, to death in close quarters.

    Larson instantly puts us in 1989 with the beloved “you never heard about these killings?” horror movie trope, and takes us on a ride from there, playing with time, tone, and a Styx t-shirt!

    An exquisite, horrifying, beautiful puzzle of a play!

    ”
  • Philip Middleton Williams: Shake the Disease by Leif Larson
    “

    For those of us of a certain age, the reminder of the ravages of the AIDS epidemic isn't history; it's the lives and losses of friends, lovers, and none of them with grace, but horror. In Leif Larson's story, the desperation of the plague drives the characters to the extremes. I wept as I watched this reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference in 2023 not only for his riveting story that pulled no punches without using the dreaded tropes, but knowing that behind this drama, there were lives and loves lost because of hate, ignorance, and bigotry.

    For those of us of a certain age, the reminder of the ravages of the AIDS epidemic isn't history; it's the lives and losses of friends, lovers, and none of them with grace, but horror. In Leif Larson's story, the desperation of the plague drives the characters to the extremes. I wept as I watched this reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference in 2023 not only for his riveting story that pulled no punches without using the dreaded tropes, but knowing that behind this drama, there were lives and loves lost because of hate, ignorance, and bigotry.

    ”
  • Aurora Behlke: Shake the Disease by Leif Larson
    “

    This play struck, like, 5 chords in me. 'Shake the Disease' is a beautiful (and terrifying) example of queer mythology. The structure of the play itself is cause enough for praise: time contorts itself to fit this multi-generational tale. This play not only draws attention to queer history, but forces you to live it, witness it, acknowledge it.

    This play struck, like, 5 chords in me. 'Shake the Disease' is a beautiful (and terrifying) example of queer mythology. The structure of the play itself is cause enough for praise: time contorts itself to fit this multi-generational tale. This play not only draws attention to queer history, but forces you to live it, witness it, acknowledge it.

    ”
  • Dave Osmundsen: Shake the Disease by Leif Larson
    “

    I was lucky enough to see this incredible play at the Valdez Theatre Conference. This play is a potent example of Gay Gothic, seamlessly and surprisingly transitioning from old-fashioned gay play to ghoulish, ghostly horror. It taps into a horrifying and disturbing mythology (an imprint of the devastating legacy of AIDS) and manages to stay two steps ahead of its audience. By the time the play draws you in with its involving characters, it has already taken you to the edge of a dark abyss. And best of all? It feels no need to explain yourself. Fantastic play!

    I was lucky enough to see this incredible play at the Valdez Theatre Conference. This play is a potent example of Gay Gothic, seamlessly and surprisingly transitioning from old-fashioned gay play to ghoulish, ghostly horror. It taps into a horrifying and disturbing mythology (an imprint of the devastating legacy of AIDS) and manages to stay two steps ahead of its audience. By the time the play draws you in with its involving characters, it has already taken you to the edge of a dark abyss. And best of all? It feels no need to explain yourself. Fantastic play!

    ”
  • Playwrights Foundation: Shake the Disease by Leif Larson
    “

    The community of National Committee readers for the 45th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced SHAKE THE DISEASE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We highly enjoyed the world of the play which uses the lens of ghost story in the writers exploration of complex themes rooted in the AIDS crisis. We were compelled by the time shifting structure and tension created to contribute to a murder mystery feel. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF45

    The community of National Committee readers for the 45th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced SHAKE THE DISEASE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We highly enjoyed the world of the play which uses the lens of ghost story in the writers exploration of complex themes rooted in the AIDS crisis. We were compelled by the time shifting structure and tension created to contribute to a murder mystery feel. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF45

    ”