‘x 16 — OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS — NOVEMBER 1997 fl&E..fl9W$..?l"dPBWBWS Pop / Jazz Vocalist 8: Musician Suede in concert 0 8:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Curch on Pearl Street in downtown Burlington Saturday, Nvembr 15, 1997 TICKETS $12 by calling 863-2437 or at these local merchants: Peace and Justice in Burlington Phoenix Rising in Montpelier Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury This performance benefits Vermont CARES and Outright Vermont Thursday—Saturday, Novembe' ; Friday, Saturday, November 'l‘hursday—Saturday, April 9-11 A 8 p Friday, Saturday, April 17,18 8 pm ‘Return Engagement; Back by Popular Demand! Two Days Only! AR. Gurney’s .r,.,e;,e SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT For information or res rv ti: ) 1 call: 860-2707 A ,« With Dottie Wilks and Donald Rowe :. 3 t ‘t Friday, Saturday, February 13,14 8 m "77:: Ibmmr 311010: in all that we arr, all that we with to be, and all tfiili BY CHRIS TEBBETFS — — — — — — — — — — — ngels in America has been called the most important American play of the century. Its two parts, "Millennium Approaches" and "Perestroika", won 1992 and 1993 Pulitzer Prizes for drama, Tony awards for best play, the Drama Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, among others. So as the University of Vermont Theater Department prepares to present Millennium Approaches this month, why do they consider it to be a tough sell? ”lt’s not mainstream, it's more radical than a number of visions we've put on the stage in the past,” says the _production’s Director, Assistant Profes- sor of Theater Peter Jack Tkatch, ”But it's a worthwhile Vision.” The play, widely known in some circles, and sur- prisingly unknown in others, has a natural cache with the gay community. Its gay characters and the role of HIV / AIDS are unapologetically drawn by the playwright Tony Kushner, who sub- titles Angels as ”a gay fantasia on na- tional themes.” Says Brad Daughtry, UVM Theater Department Marketing Director, ”the gay audience is a major audience for this play, [but] since the issues are ultimately universal, it will also appeal” to many others. ”I am counting heavily on the reputation of the play and the word of mouth that is happening.” Tkatch has begun rehearsing his eight actors, juggling academic sched- ules with the demands of mounting a ' complicated three and a half hour pro- duction in six short weeks. The cast in- cludes UVM students Daron Byerly, Corina Carlson, Cynthia Davis, Mor- gan Foxworth, Isaac Leader, and Greg Steen, along with community member Ruth Wallman, and Actors Equity As- sociation guest artist Kermit Brown in ' the role of Roy Cohn. Preliminary re- search assignments to the cast include HIV/ AIDS, homophobia, racism, Mor- monism,] "0 ance. Many if not all of the characters in Angels in America are outside of the mainstream — part of the play’s mes- sage, and part of what keeps it a mar- keting challenge. ”One of the big ques- tions of the play,” says Tkatch, ”is how do we bring the whole society to accep- tance instead of building up walls of prejudice and fear?” Within its three interwoven story lines -— concerning a gay couple, a Mormon couple, and the dying, clos- eted and homophobic Roy Cohn, — Tkatch sees issues of community, poli- tics, intolerance, and ultimately, he says, of hope for the future. Referring to Part One’s title, Millennium Ap- proaches, he says that if nothing else, ”It’s a journey towards hope.” Kushner has said that the first play is about de- spair and the second is about hope, but Tkatch says that Millennium Ap- proaches is infused with voices that calm and inform and reassure. ”Whether that voice is imagined, hal- lucinated, or real, we don't know. And that's going to be up to the individual audience member to decide, whether or not they're hopeful, or pessimistic.” With the challenges of mounting and selling this production, it is clear which side the UVM theater department stands on. Angels in America Part One: Mil- lennium Approaches will play at the Royall Tyler Theater on the UVM cam- pus November 12-15 and 20-22 at 7:30 PM, and November 23 at 2:00 PM. Fri- day/ Saturday tickets are $11.50; all other performances are $10, with $8 tickets for students and seniors. The November 20 performance will be fol- lowed by an audience discussion with the play’s cast and director, and Ver- mont CARES Executive Director Tim Palmer. For tickets or information call 656-2094. REAL MEN 188 Main Street Burlington, VT 802-865-4563 GAY LINE SIZZLING LOCKER ROOM AETION JOIN IN on JUST snvssonop PHONE sex son rue GAY 90's 1- 900- 745-3306 Mon ACYION 41 1-900-745-2845 LIFESTYLES onreznvs ALL urssrvuss - LOCAL AND NATIONWIDE I-900-745-3710 $2.49/MIN . VISIT us AT WWW.XAPEX.NET . I8+YRS November 21 7PM REAL #‘S