Scott McPherson

One of the first openly gay, HIV-positive American artists, a renowned playwright and accomplished actor. Scott McPherson, was the author of the critically acclaimed play Marvin’s Room, later made into a film. Born in 1959, he died of AIDS complications in 1992.

His award-winning play, “Marvin’s Room”, is regarded as one of Chicago’s most vital artistic and creative forces. Amidst the homophobia and AIDS hysteria that gripped the nation, He has spoken eloquently, both in his writing and in interviews, of the personal and familial ravages of chronic illness and the need for loving support and connection with lovers, family and friends.

McPherson was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised, along with seven siblings, in a devout Roman Catholic home. He acquired his great love for literature in his youth. He began acting in high school and attended Ohio University where he majored in theater and dance. An early one-act version of his first play, ‘”Til the Fat Lady Sings”, was first produced at Ohio University. It was later produced in Chicago by Lifeline Theatre under the direction of Eric Simonson. Ohio University named a new theater space in McPherson’s honor.

McPherson moved to Chicago in 1981 and was cast regularly in local theatrical productions, commercials and industrial films. His work as an actor included performances in “The Shrew”, “Butler County”, G”entrification”, “Expectations”, “The House of Blue Leaves”, “The Normal Heart” and many others. In spite of variable and increasingly failing health, and the illness and recent death of his lover, Daniel Sotomayor, McPherson had completed two commissioned screenplays and was working on a new play until shortly before he died in Chicago on November 7, 1992.  At the time of his death from AIDS, Scott McPherson had been the life-partner of Chicago AIDS activist Daniel Sotomayor, who preceded Scott in death by nine months, in February 1992. Often ill at the same time, during Daniel's last hospitalization, Scott had also contracted an aggressive AIDS-related illness, and the two were hospitalized together, sharing the same room. The nursing staff and their devoted physicians, well-acquainted with the two young men, saw to it their hospital beds were pushed together in the center so Scott and Daniel could hold hands. Daniel never left the hospital, dying while they were there together. Scott bravely agreed to follow Daniel's strict orders not to be kept alive by artificial means, and let him go. Much of Scott's writing was influenced both by his childhood recollections of helping care for sick and dying family members, as well as by his experiences with AIDS. His seminal play "Marvin's Room" was written while he was a student participating in a workshop at the Goodman, before finding out he had contracted HIV. (In fact the young boy character of Charlie was based on himself as a child.) He completed the screenplay adaptation for "Marvin's Room" just weeks before his own death. His last wish was that he live "at least as long as Jesus." He died a few days after his 33rd birthday.