One play. Two brothers. Scores of children benefiting. That's the simple breakdown of "Sigh/Omelas," a one-man dramatic piece about kids affected by or afflicted with AIDS to be performed tomorrow night at the Masonic Hall in Newburyport.
West Newbury native Steve Kidd, 32, wrote the play after an emotional volunteer experience at Camp AmeriKids in 1998. The weeklong summer camp is designed for children ages 7 to 15 who are dealing with HIV/AIDS - either themselves or through a loved one who suffers from the disease.
The free camp, based in Carmel, N.Y., allows campers to try new activities while enhancing their self-esteem.
Kidd went into the experience during a difficult time in his own life. Despite landing a few commercials during a year living in Los Angles, Kidd decided the life of a struggling unknown wasn't for him.
His plan was to return to the East Coast when a friend suggested Kidd volunteer at the camp for a week.
"Initially, no, I wasn't prepared to handle the emotional conversations (I had with the campers)," said Kidd, who now lives in Pawtucket, R.I. "I went into the week worried about my acting career and future and cell phone bill and I left thinking, 'I'm all right. Everything is going to be OK.'"
That first summer, Kidd befriended a 13-year-old camper with AIDS. The camper, Victor, shared painful stories of quitting sports and losing friends after going blind due to his low T-cell count, a result of the disease.
"Six months after camp, he died," Kidd said. "I was stuck with all those stories, so one day I just wrote them all out. I had this crummy public relations job in Boston and I decided to stay late one night and write and write and write."
That was the origins of "Sigh/Omelas." The play also incorporates themes from Ursula K. Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," about an utopian society that depends on the eternal suffering of a single child.
Kidd, who has performed the play around the country since 2001, donates half of his proceeds to Camp AmeriKids. He has worked at the camp during the past eight summers and is now the program director, which requires him to orchestrate all camp activities and be silly during meal time.
Kidd brings the play tomorrow night to Newburyport, where his older brother, Jeff, is a member of the Masons. All ticket proceeds will go to the Masonic Angel Fund, which provides modest financial assistance to local children who can't afford basic items, but don't qualify for most social-service programs. For example, if a school nurse discovers that a child needs a winter coat, she can complete a confidential request for funding to the trustees of the Angel Fund.
West Newbury native Steve Kidd, 32, wrote the play after an emotional volunteer experience at Camp AmeriKids in 1998. The weeklong summer camp is designed for children ages 7 to 15 who are dealing with HIV/AIDS - either themselves or through a loved one who suffers from the disease.
The free camp, based in Carmel, N.Y., allows campers to try new activities while enhancing their self-esteem.
Kidd went into the experience during a difficult time in his own life. Despite landing a few commercials during a year living in Los Angles, Kidd decided the life of a struggling unknown wasn't for him.
His plan was to return to the East Coast when a friend suggested Kidd volunteer at the camp for a week.
"Initially, no, I wasn't prepared to handle the emotional conversations (I had with the campers)," said Kidd, who now lives in Pawtucket, R.I. "I went into the week worried about my acting career and future and cell phone bill and I left thinking, 'I'm all right. Everything is going to be OK.'"
That first summer, Kidd befriended a 13-year-old camper with AIDS. The camper, Victor, shared painful stories of quitting sports and losing friends after going blind due to his low T-cell count, a result of the disease.
"Six months after camp, he died," Kidd said. "I was stuck with all those stories, so one day I just wrote them all out. I had this crummy public relations job in Boston and I decided to stay late one night and write and write and write."
That was the origins of "Sigh/Omelas." The play also incorporates themes from Ursula K. Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," about an utopian society that depends on the eternal suffering of a single child.
Kidd, who has performed the play around the country since 2001, donates half of his proceeds to Camp AmeriKids. He has worked at the camp during the past eight summers and is now the program director, which requires him to orchestrate all camp activities and be silly during meal time.
Kidd brings the play tomorrow night to Newburyport, where his older brother, Jeff, is a member of the Masons. All ticket proceeds will go to the Masonic Angel Fund, which provides modest financial assistance to local children who can't afford basic items, but don't qualify for most social-service programs. For example, if a school nurse discovers that a child needs a winter coat, she can complete a confidential request for funding to the trustees of the Angel Fund.
"As an organization, (the Masons) put $3,000 to $6,000 a year toward this program," said Jeff Kidd of Amesbury. "We work very closely with the school system - with nurses and principals who see who's really in need.
"... Just last month, there was a child in need who was sleeping on the floor because his brother took over the couch. We just bought him a bed. It's little things like that, but they go a long way."
Steve Kidd, meanwhile, will continue to assist his own group of kids in need through Camp AmeriKids.
"Victor was born with AIDS, as are most of the campers. A lot are born into poverty and are without parents - many who passed away or are unstable. And a lot of these kids go directly into orphanages, HIV positive, which is a tough way to be coming out of the gate," Steve Kidd said.
"The good news is last year the number of children born in New York with AIDS was only four. So, hopefully, the camp will work itself out of business."
If You Go
* What: "Sigh/Omelas," written, adapted and performed by West Newbury native Steve Kidd
* Where: Newburyport Masonic Hall, 31 Green St., Newburyport
* When: Friday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
* How: Ticket donations are $20. All proceeds benefit the Masonic Angel Fund. Tickets are available at the American Red Cross at 31 Green St., Newburyport, or by calling 978-462-8243. For more about Camp AmeriKids, visit www.campamerikids.org. For more on the Masonic Angel Fund, visit www.masonicangelfund.com.
