''The Wizard of A.I.D.S.: Aware Individuals Deserving Survival'' is a short musical play created by the AIDS Educational Theatre (now HealthWorks Theatre) in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in 1987. The play, which parodies the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'', is an AIDS education piece that follows Dorothy Gale and her friends from the "Land of AIDS" as they battle the " Wicked Witch of Unsafe Sex" and learn how to prevent the spread of HIV. Along the way, the

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...

learns to use his brain to make good choices to avoid infection, the Tin Man finds it in his heart to feel compassion for people with the disease and the

Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...

realizes the courage to face his fears about becoming ill. The musical plays on the popularity of the film among gay people, a group of high risk for AIDS infection. During and after the play, cast members distribute HIV-prevention literature and condoms to the audience. Aiming for an audience of teenagers and young adults, HealthWorks tours the piece to high schools and college campuses across the country, occasionally sparking controversy. Although Dorothy chooses abstinence as her prevention strategy, the play frankly discusses condom usage and the Wicked Witch is killed by being suffocated with a giant condom.

References

External links

HealthWorks Theatre official site
1987 musicals HIV/AIDS in theatre LGBT-related musicals Musicals based on The Wizard of Oz {{Oz-stub