Steve Schalchlin (born October 4, 1953) is an American songwriter, actor and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the first
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
/
AIDS blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order s ...
gers, beginning his in 1996 to keep family and friends updated on his failing health. When he responded well to a last-ditch effort in treatment by his doctor, he found out that his little "AIDS blog" had garnered a net following. A respected songwriter, Steve put his rebound into music that his partner, playwright Jim Brochu, turned into the critically acclaimed ''
The Last Session''.
In 2001, the ''New York Times'' profiled Schalchlin's groundbreaking diary. The Times has also raved about Schalchlin and Brochu's musicals, ''The Last Session'' and ''The Big Voice: God or Merman?''
Schalchlin is cited in
Shawn Decker's 2006 Book ''My Pet Virus'' as an important historical AIDS blogger and an inspiration for Decker's own AIDS blogging efforts.
Schalchlin volunteers time as a board member of GLBT support organizations, Families United Against Hate and Youth Guardian Services. He marched with
Soulforce
Soulforce is a U.S.-based social justice organization that works to end the religious and political oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) people. The organization's co-executive directors are Alba Onofrio ...
on the historic first march to Jerry Falwell's church. He was a featured performer at the PFLAG national conference and speaker at the March on Washington.
George Michael allowed Schalchlin to play John Lennon's IMAGINE piano in the front yard of Gabi and Alec Clayton in memory of their son, Bill, who committed suicide after a gay bashing.
Steve's personal video blogs of the event:
* ;
* ;
Steve's song "My Thanksgiving Prayer" was selected to honor th
30th Anniversary'' of the
Beirut barracks bombing
Early on a Sunday morning, October 23, 1983, two car bomb, truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, Lebanon, housing American and French service members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF), a military peacekeeping operation during the ...
, honoring the 241 Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers who served as Peacekeepers in Beirut, Lebanon 1982–1984, killed on October 23, 1983.
Awards
Among his awards and nominations:
*Best Musical Score, L.A. Drama Critics Circle, 1997 & 2003
*Best L.A. Theatre Production, GLAAD Media Awards, 1997
*Best Musical L.A. Ovation Awards (LA's equivalent of the Tony), 2005
*Best Musical Nomination NY Drama League, 1997
*Best Musical Nomination NY Outer Critics Circle, 1997
*Best Theatrical Production nomination, Off-Broadway GLAAD Media Awards 2004
*Best Theatrical Production nomination L.A. GLAAD Media Awards, 2004
*Best Musical, ADA Awards, 2005
*Best Musical Director, ADA Awards, 2005
*Best Lead Actor in a Musical nomination, L.A. Ovation Awards, 2005
*PFLAG-LA Oscar Wilde Award, 1997 & 2003
*Best Concert of a Musical Desert Theatre League Awards 2005
*Best Original Writing, Desert Theatre League Awards 2005
References
External links
Living in the Bonus Round
Steve's Blog
The Last Session
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
New World Waking
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schalchlin, Steve
1953 births
American musical theatre composers
American gay actors
American gay musicians
American male songwriters
American LGBT songwriters
Living people
People with HIV/AIDS
Songwriters from Arkansas
Gay songwriters
20th-century American LGBT people
21st-century American LGBT people