tHis Is Very IMPORTANT 

Reviewed by Lovell Estell III 
The Zephyr Theater 
Through February 4 

According to a recent U.N. Report, approximately forty million people have died of AIDS since the epidemic began over thirty years ago, and roughly as many are living with HIV today. As pointed out in the program notes for this show, a woman is diagnosed with HIV in this country every thirty-five minutes, and most of these women are women of color.

In her solo piece, directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, Rahvaunia portrays three women whose lives are unexpectedly altered by the illness. The first, Mary, is a dedicated nurse whose life is contoured by her Christian faith, and who contracts the virus when she attempts to help a victim of a car crash. Fighting shame, anger and grief, she eventually comes to terms with her condition.

The second segment — too thin to convey much that is meaningful about the character — tells the story of Val, a self-absorbed “good time glam girl” who, when informed of her status by her doctor, proceeds to argue and deny the validity of her test results.

The clearest and most effective portrait here is of Sam, a country girl from an emotionally sterile family, whose need for love and approval results in a lot of spontaneous, unprotected sex — and a diagnosis of HIV.

This is an idea with a lot of potential, but these characters and their lives need to be scripted and drawn with more detail and artistry. Rahvaunia’s evident skill at depicting them is no substitute for effective, insightful writing. Also, too much use is made of the three-panel backdrop for presenting statistics and information about the disease. After a time, this becomes an ineffective and distracting exercise.

However, what the script lacks in technical efficiency and quality is somewhat compensated for by its emotional element and Rahvaunia’s energetic performance.

The Zephyr Theater, 7456 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; through February 4. www.brownpapertickets.com Running time: one hour with no intermission.