Scott McPherson(1959-1992)

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.