PHOTOS: Cazwell, Filmmakers Get “Beneath The Sheets” At New York City’s Players Club

On March 30, host Jonathan D. Lovitz hosted performances by Martin Théberge, Misnomer(s) and DJ Cazwell at New York’s venerable Players Club as part of a special benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the upcoming short film “Chaser,”  whose director, Sal Bardo, and star, Max Rhyser, were on hand.  Also in attendance were Jae Garcia, designer Alicat Avril Lemieux  and AIDS activist Michael Cavanaugh. The goal of the party, called Beneath the Sheets, was to address the growing complacency surrounding unsafe sex and HIV/AIDS in the gay community. “[We want] to start a dialogue about the increasing number of gay men practicing unsafe sex, and ask one simple question: Why is this happening?” explained Rhyser. A 60-day crowd-funding campaign has been launched for “Chaser,” which looks at a fictional group of “bug chasers”—gay men who intentionally attempt to sero-convert. Previously, Rhyser has appeared on the small screen in One Life to Live, Homeland and the BBC sitcom My Hero, as well as the film A Four Letter Word. Bardo’s movie Requited is coming to DVD later this spring, while his most recent effort, Sam—about bullying and gender identity—is now making the festival rounds. Click through for more photos from the Beneath the Sheets benefit party Photos: Ken Paprocki