Spotlighters Angels in America: Perestroika to Open

Spotlighters Theatre presents Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Perestroika, winner of the 1994 Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, July 20 – August 12, 2007.

The Show:

While Perestroika is part two of Angels in America, it stands alone by looking into the relationships of the characters from Millennium Approaches. Perestroika allows the audience the opportunity to see into the very soul of some characters, and even the most vile and despised, can find some comfort and redemption.

Perestroika is the story of two troubled couples, one gay, one straight: gay Louis and Prior and Mormon Joe and Harper. Through their lives and connections, friends and family, a tapestry is woven with threads of love, hatred, fear, self-loathing, despair, hallucination and vision. When discussing Perestroika, Kushner has said, "The question I am trying to ask is how board is a community's embrace? How wide does it reach?"

In Perestroika we see community being rebuilt; forging bonds between unlikely and seemingly unconnected characters (Hannah and Prior, Prior and Harper). Even Roy, the play's most difficult character is not abandoned in death, his death links him to the very communities that he abandoned.  Perestroika deals with many societal issues - AIDS, racism, religion, politics, life & death, . . . and hope.  And it finds hope within unlikely individuals.

Director:

Alexander D Carney (Director) holds an MFA in Directing from Mary Baldwin College, an M. Lit. in Elizabethan and Renaissance Literature in Performance from Mary Baldwin College and an BA in Theater from SUNY/Empire State College. This is Alex's first show at Spotlighters. Originally from New York City, he appeared off-Broadway with Geraldine Page and F. Murray Abraham in The Madwoman of Chaillot. He worked on the Broadway productions of Showboat, Smokey Joe's Cafe, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Among the shows he has directed is the first staging in 400 years of the First Quarto of The Chronicle History of Henry V, by William Shakespeare. In the fall of 2007, he will begin work on a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in Speech and Theater at University of Maryland/College Park. He is currently the Drama Teacher at Patterson High School in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and IATSE Local #1.

The Cast:

Angels in America: Perestroika brings a new group of actors to SPOTLIGHTERS' stage, as well as a few veterans. In the role of the Angel is Nancy Flores, making her debut at SPOTLIGHTERS and bring her dance and theatre experience to create a most breath-taking Angel. As the unwilling prophet, Prior Walter, Shaun Gould is also making his debut at SPOTLIGHTERS. In the role of Louis Ironson, Prior's ex-lover, is Chris Homberg, who was recently seen at SPOTLIGHTERS as Giuseppe Zangara in Assassins. Robert Scott Hitcho takes on the role of Joe Pitt, married Mormon Republican lawyer and Louis' new love interest. This is also Robert's debut at SPOTLIGHTERS. He was most recently seen in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Chesapeake Arts Center. In the role of Harper Pitt, Joe's Valium addicted hallucinating wife, is Karina Ferry, who is no stranger to the SPOTLIGHTERS stage, having appeared in Rocky Horror Show (twice) as well as Songs for a New World and The Mineola Twins. As Joe's mother, Hannah Pitt, and a plethora of supporting characters, Rebecca Ludwig makes her debut in this intimate space. Rebecca has worked as Musical Director and appeared in numerous performances, she is a Music Teacher with Baltimore City School System. Troy Hopper brings a genuine caring to Belize, as the compassionate care giver, and moral center of Angels. It has been three years since Troy last appeared on SPOTLIGHTERS stage, but he has been busy in other theatres in the Baltimore area. As the vile power-hungry bigoted Roy Cohn, Frank Vince makes his debut at SPOTLIGHTERS.

The Technical Design Team:

The Technical Design Team of Angels in America: Perestroika boasts well-known and regarded individuals from the Baltimore region. Galen Lande (Lighting Designer) returns to Spotlighters after designing the lighting for Hope's Arbor, Angels in America-Millennium Approaches, The Mineola Twins and The Nerd. Galen is the resident designer for Toby's Dinner Theater.  Sound Design is by Fred Nelson, who was last seen on stage at SPOTLIGHTERS in the title role of The Nerd. Fred is a freelance television editor for several national networks and corporate clients, with more than 25 years of audio and video production/design experience, and dozens of regional and national industry awards for his work. He is also the announcer for the TV series Now Playing with Gary Collins. As an actor, Fred has performed in more than 100 television and theatre roles on both sides of the world.  Costumes are designed by Nan Willis, who received a BA in Theatre and Dance from Arizona State University and has costumed and performed in shows in Phoenix, Chicago and Northern California. Her design credits include Camelot, Hay Fever, Sweeney Todd, Raven and RoTM's new works festival, Variations of Justice.   Michael Tan has taken on the daunting task of creating original music and arrangements for the show.  Michael was last seen on the SPOTLIGHTERS stage in The Odd Couple, and will be appearing in SPOTLIGHTERS next production, the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, Rudy Doo.  Michael is most known for his musical direction around Baltimore. He was musical director for Sunday in the Park with George last season and Falsettos, both at Fells Point Corner Theatre. He will be music directing Great American Trailer Park Musical this October at SPOTLIGHTERS.  FUZZ Roark, Executive Director of SPOTLIGHTERS Theatre, assumed the role of Producer for this show over the summer, and has since taken on the roles of Technical Director, and Set Design & Construction.

Special Events & Services:

• A Talk Back Session is scheduled with cast and creative team of Perestroika on Sunday, August 5 following the 2pm matinee. This is an opportunity for audience members to ask questions regarding the production, the performance, the process and the characters.
• Audio Description for the Visually Impaired is available upon request. Please contact the theatre two weeks in advance so that arrangement may be made to provide the service. (There is no additional fee for this service).
• The Saturday, August 4, 2007 performance of Perestroika will be a benefit performance for PFLAG of Columbia/Howard County. $5 from each ticket purchased that evening will be donated to the organization.

Ticket Info:

Tickets may be purchased online at www.spotlighters.org - TICKETS or at the Box Office one hour prior to each performance. Tickets may be placed on Will Call by phoning the theatre at 410-752-1225.  Reservations are strongly recommended. Cash and Credit Cards are accepted at the Box Office.

BroadwayWorld.com readers can receive a 33% discount!  That's $5.00 off per ticket.  Go to the website above and enter code BWW-A2, or mention this discount over the phone or at the box office.  YOU MUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A BROADWAY WORLD READER ON THE PHONE OR AT THE BOX OFFICE OR ENTER THE CODE ONLINE TO GET THIS DISCOUNT!

 

PHOTOS: By Amy Jones.  TOP TO BOTTOM: Shaun Gould and Nancy Flores; Karina Ferry and Troy Hopper; Chris Homberg and Robert Scott Hitcho; and Troy Hopper and Shaun Gould.

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