Aurora Theatre Company Closes Season With SALOMANIA, 6/15-7/22

Closing Aurora's 20th season is the World Premiere of SALOMANIA, Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross's first new play commission for the company, written and directed by award-winning Bay Area auteur Mark Jackson (Metamorphosis, Salome, Miss Julie).

While directing Oscar Wilde's fascinating and sensual play Salome at Aurora in 2006, Jackson discovered the extraordinary story of dancer Maud Allan, a San Francisco native who took Europe by storm in the early 1900's with her version of the "Dance of the Seven Veils," which she called "The Vision of Salomé." She became notoriously known as "The Salomé Dancer" and was unexpectedly fraught with a lawsuit that destroyed her career.

Whereas Salome was Oscar Wilde's wild take on the infamous Biblical temptress, her unrequited love of the prophet Jokanaan, and her desperate dance, SALOMANIA uses Allan's story as a framework to explore themes of media sensationalism, freedom of expression, and wartime hysteria, themes as relevant today as they were a century ago. Madeline H.D. Brown (Metamorphosis) stars as the controversial Allan.

DATES: Previews: June 15, 16, 20 at 8pm; June 17 at 2pm; June 19 at 7pm

Opens: June 21, 2012

Friday Forum: Friday, July 6 - Sensationalism

Script Club: Monday, July 16, 7:30pm – Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare

20/20: Friday, July 20 - Strong Women in the Theatre

Closes: July 22

SHOWS: Tuesday at 7pm; Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 7pm

WHERE: Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

TICKETS: For tickets (Previews $34; Regular Performances $30-48; Limited Opening Night Seating $55) the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org. Half-off tickets for Under 30, student, and group discounts available.