Creator David Wise has announced the return of the immersive theatrical experience Fight Back with a one-night presentation on March 19 at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan.
The project recreates the March 13, 1989 meeting of ACT UP New York, the activist group known for direct action during the AIDS crisis. Unlike traditional theatre, the experience has no actors or audience. From the moment participants arrive, they take on the identity of a real person who attended that historic meeting.
Each participant receives a biographical profile and guidance on how to engage in the gathering, with some volunteers assigned additional responsibilities within the meeting. Participants complete a questionnaire in advance so organizers can match them with an appropriate historical persona.
“There’s a real hunger to revisit passionate, effective activism, and Fight Back does that in such an intimate way,” Wise said. “When I first conceived of Fight Back, I really didn’t know if it could work. It’s so different, and it asks so much of people. I’ve loved seeing it work — wonderfully different every time.”
The March 19 event will mark the sixth presentation of the project since its launch in March 2024.
The experience aims to recreate the emotional intensity of ACT UP’s weekly meetings, which served as organizing spaces where activists confronted the AIDS crisis through collective action and advocacy.
Participation requires a $19.89 donation. Registration and additional information are available at fightback.nyc. The project is supported by a Support for Artist grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.
