Masterpiece 'Angels In America-Millenium Approaches'
By: Beau Higgins Jan. 16, 2007
ANGELS IN AMERICA, Tony Kushner's CONTROVERSIAL PULITZER AND TONY AWARD WINNING DRAMA TO BE PRESENTED BY NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR FOUR PERFORMANCE RUN, FEBRUARY 9-11 AT THE COLONY THEATER AS A MAJOR HIGHLIGHT OF ACCLAIMED SCHOOL'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
In a courageous and artistically brilliant move which has for 20 years identified New World School of the Arts as one of the nation's major creative forces, NWSA'S Theater Division is mounting a full scale production of "Part One: Millenium Approaches" of Tony Kushner's two-part multi-award winning drama "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," to be presented Friday and Saturday, February 9 and 10, at 7:30 P.M., with matinees Saturday and Sunday, February 10 and 11, at 2 P.M., at Miami Beach's Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road.
Directing New World School of the Arts' College students will be faculty member Stuart Meltzer,
"What an enormous opportunity it is for NWSA's Theater Division to present Tony Kushner's masterpiece," said Meltzer. "The timing could not be better. The department has never backed away from producing daring and culturally diverse works that are true reflections of our society. In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, we have decided it was time to present one of the greatest plays in American history, a play that resonates in our political and cultural conscience."
Among the theater world's most fearless playwrights, Kushner had chosen as his main theme the world of AIDS to illustrate the corruption, homophobia, and racial politics consuming the country when he first started to write his play in the late 1980s. A world premiere in May 1991 at San Francisco's Eureka Theatre Company was followed in January 1992 by its London debut. In 1993, New York saw the play's Broadway ? at the Walter Kerr Theatre where it was received as a major artistic and soon-to-become commercial success.
"Angels in America: "Part One: Millenium Approaches," followed by "Part Two: Perestroika," was acclaimed as a monumental work scoring such prestigious international awards as both the 1993 and 1994 Tony Awards as Best Play, the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the London Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. In 2003, HBO aired the play which went on to win several Emmys and Golden Globe awards as Best Miniseries.
Director Stuart Meltzer is currently enjoying his second year as a member of NWSA's full time faculty. Having received his M.F.A, in Directing from the Actors Studio in New York, Meltzer has since directed Kiss of the Spider Woman, Painted Alice, Barefoot Boy With Shoes On, Boston Marriage, Cowboy Mouth, The Philanthropist, Striptease, Gint, Lysistrata and I Love You Forever which he also wrote. At NWSA, Stuart has directed Marat/Sade, The Orchards, Metamorphosis, and Poor Murderer. This will be the fourth year that Stuart will be participating as a directing member of the upcoming season of Miami's City Theatre, Summer Shorts."Angels in America" will mark the fourth production in an academic year which has seen such earlier Theater Division successes as Alfred Uhry/James Robert Brown's Parade, Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate, Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade, and And the Cards Were Dealt, a compilation of one-person shows created by NWSA graduating seniors. Still to come are a group of Contemporary Plays to be presented February 16-18; Women of Troy March 28 thru April 1; and the May 4-6 Playwright Festival.
Along with the divisions of Dance, Music and Visual Arts, the student body and faculty are gearing up to participate and showcase their talents in the year's major celebration, the 20th Anniversary "Rising Stars" performance and reception Friday, March 16, at downtown's Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.
The Colony Theater is located at 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. For tickets, visit www.Ticketmaster.com or for more information about the theater program at NWSA, please call (305) 237-3541. New World School of the Arts was created by the Florida Legislature as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts, and is an educational partnership of Miami Dade County Public Schools, Miami Dade College and the University of Florida.
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