NOTE TO EDITORS: Photo call for "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches" will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 in the Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane.

EUGENE–Tony Kushner’s "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches," winner of the Pulitzer Prize and every other important award for achievement in American playwrighting, will open on May 25 at the University Theatre at the University of Oregon.

The show will continue May 26, May 31 and June 1—3, and June 8—9. in the Robinson Theatre, 1109 Old Campus Lane. Curtain time for all performances is 8 p.m. Free parking is available nearby in the UO lot at East 11th Avenue and Kincaid Street.

In addition, a matinee performance benefiting the HIV Alliance of Eugene will be held at
2 p.m. on Sunday, June 3. Tickets are $12 each for this special performance. To reserve tickets and for information, call the HIV Alliance, (541) 342-5088.

According to St. Louis’ The Doge’s Reviews, "Angels in America" is a "sweeping unapologetically theatrical examination of some of the most basic human ideas: love, death, loyalty, commitment, community and lots of other things that are usually capitalized when we discuss them."

The starting point of "Angels in America" is 1986, the year that AIDS became an equal-opportunity epidemic. Set against a broad canvas of everything from global warming to the ideology of conservative Christianity and Reaganomics, the AIDS virus becomes a metaphor for devastation, migration and survival on a universal level.

"While the story line of ‘Millennium Approaches’ is far too complex to summarize here in any detail, the essence of it concerns two couples–one gay and one straight–trying to cope with the disintegration of their relationships and the painful self-examination that comes with it," according to St. Louis’ The Doge’s Reviews.

"Their lives and even their dreams intertwine in bizarre ways, not only among themselves but with historical figures such as Roy Cohn and Ethel Rosenberg as well. And, of course, with an angel…. Kushner’s writing is tight, sharp, and wonderfully literate…."

Director John Schmor believes this particular production is rich with stage magic for anyone who enjoys paradox, poetry, imagery and language in a minimalist setting. The combination of fantasy and reality invites audiences to explore the issues raised with imagination and generosity.

Schmor, an assistant professor of theater arts, does caution that "Millennium Approaches" contains imagery and subject matter that may offend those who dislike sexuality or politics as topics of public discourse.

The production team working with Schmor includes faculty scenic designer Dan Koetting; costume designer Kendall Dodd, a senior Spanish major from Portland; faculty lighting designer
J. Michael Gilg; sound designer Peter Vomocil, a junior theater arts major from Corvallis; and dramaturg and director’s assistant Brian Boone, a senior theater arts and journalism major from Portland.

Stage manager is Shannon Case, a sophomore theater arts major from Gresham; assistant stage manager is Amy O’Brien, a senior theater arts major from Eugene; properties manager is Tasha Cyr, a senior theater arts major from Montreal, Quebec, Canada; faculty technical director is Janet Rose; and assistant technical director is Lara Shimasaki, a freshman theater arts major from Portland.

The acting ensemble includes Kimberly Bates, a junior theater arts major, and Nathan Bloch, a junior leisure studies major, both from Eugene; Katie Breen, a senior political science major from Lake Oswego; and Matthew Woodburn, a junior theater arts and comparative literature major from Portland.

Also part of the acting ensemble are Deborah Greer, doctoral degree student in theater arts from Riverside, Calif.; Rich Brown, a doctoral degree student in theater arts from Lenox, Iowa; Jonathan Cole, a doctoral degree student in theater arts from Thompson Falls, Mont.; and Alberto M. Albuquerque, a master’s degree student in international studies from Jaboatão, Brazil.

Tickets for this show are $10 each for the general public; $8 for UO faculty and staff members, senior citizens and non-UO students; and $5 for UO students. On Thursday, May 31, UO students will be admitted for $4.

Tickets are available now on campus at the Ticket Office in the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Avenue, (541) 346-4363. New this year, tickets will be sold only on days of performances at the University Theatre Box Office in the lobby of Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 346-4191.

For more information, browse <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre/> or call the University Theatre Development Office, 346-4190. 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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