EUGENE–"Top Girls," Caryl Churchill’s funny yet provocative look at winning and losing from a woman’s perspective, opens on Jan. 28 as the third production of University Theatre’s 1999-2000 Robinson Season.

The play continues Jan. 29, as well as Feb. 3—5 and 11—12 at 8 p.m., with a special benefit matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6. All performances are in the Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane on the University of Oregon campus.

Tickets for regular performances cost $10 for the general public, $8 for senior citizens, UO faculty and staff, and non-UO students; and $5 for UO students. A $1 discount is available to UO students for Thursday performances.

In addition, tickets for the Sunday matinee cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. They are available through Community Alliance for Lane County (CALC), (541) 485-1755, which will benefit from proceeds of ticket sales for the Feb. 6 performance.

Tickets for all University Theatre events are now available at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Centre, as well as at the Ticket Office in the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), 1222 E. 13th Ave., and the University Theatre Box Office in the Robinson Theatre Lobby.

Group ticket rates are offered for all performances. In addition, free parking is available near the theater in the UO lot at East 11th Avenue and Kincaid Street.

"Top Girls," according to an original review in the New York Post, is a "…very funny and provocative play about winners and losers and the dangers of winning and losing from a woman’s standpoint."

A symbolic luncheon gathers significant women from legend and history together to celebrate the promotion of Marlene to the post of managing director in her London employment agency. What begins as a philosophical discussion of maternity and ambition becomes an examination of women in the business world and the private life of one successful executive.

"‘Top Girls’ tells women’s stories in an unusual and intriguing way," explains Director Beth Cherne, an adjunct theater arts faculty member. "The play offers both an innovative structure and important comments on the way our society forces choices for its members–especially women."

The production team working with Cherne includes set designer Steen V. Mitchell, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) design candidate in theater arts from Eugene; costume designer Heather Brooks of Ontario, for whom "Top Girls" is her MFA final project; University Theatre’s resident lighting designer and technical director, Janet Rose; and stage manager Bruce Ramseyer, a senior theater arts major from Gresham.

The cast features Holly L. Johnson, a senior theater arts major from Astoria, as Onstage dresser; Tanya B. Finley, a senior sociology major from Eugene, as Onstage dresser; Yasmin Ravard, a freshman theater arts major from Lake Oswego, as Pope Joan/Louise; Jocelyn Fultz, a sophomore theater arts major from Monmouth, as Patient Griselda/Kit/Shona; Lauren Armstrong, a sophomore theater arts major from Portland, as Waitress/Jeanine/Win; Bekki Barnhart, a senior theater arts major from Tigard, as Marlene; Nicole Barrett, a sophomore theater arts major from Tigard, as Dresser; Minnie Goode, a senior theater arts major from Tualatin, as Isabella/Nell/Joyce; Kim Harmon, a junior theater arts major from Van Nuys, Calif., as Lady Nijo/Mrs. Kidd; and Rachel Aanestad, a senior theater arts and architecture major from Ketchum, Idaho, as Dull Gret/Angie.

The 1999-2000 Robinson Season marks the 50th year of plays in the Robinson Theatre. The building initially opened as the University Theatre with a production of "Winterset" on Dec. 2, 1949. In the 50 years of its existence, the Robinson Theatre has been home to more than 300 productions.

For more information about performances of "Top Girls" and other Robinson Season productions, browse http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre or call the University Theatre Box Office, (541) 346-4191; the EMU Ticket Office, 346-4363; or the Hult Center Box Office, 682-5000.

A taped message about University Theatre productions and activities also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2287.

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