MCLA Theater Students Produce 'Angels in America'
 Senior theater students Joshua Lapierre, left, and Erik Dabrowski rehearse the MCLA production of 'Angels in America.' |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Fine and Performing Arts department presents Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Angels in America."
The show debuts in Venable Theater on April 15-17 at 8 p.m., and continues on April 23-26, also at 8, with an 11:30 a.m. symposium prior to the matinee at 2 on April 26.
"Angels in America" is organized and performed by the Theatre Lab class and directed by assistant professor Laura Standley. She, along with her cast, who also serve as the technical crew and administrative team, put together the show from scratch, from envisioning the initial concept to rehearsing the final product.
"'Angels in America' was certainly an ambitious choice for Theatre Lab, yet we wanted to present ourselves with a chance to overcome the seemingly impossible," said assistant director and senior Jacquelyn Gianetti. "The work is a Pulitzer-Prize winning play and certainly one of the most important pieces of our time.
"Our production searches for the hopeful aspects of an ever-changing society. It creates a behavioral platform through which the community can potentially examine the difficult decisions of each of the characters."
The play tackles concepts regarding societal progression, social stigma and the fight for equality. Set during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, the characters undergo a series of challenges regarding their personal, gender, and sexual identity when race, religion, love, drag culture, and disease play a key role in the struggle for positive change, acceptance and self-discovery.
Despite the play’s prominence, serving as a catalyst for bringing these issues to light and testing the limits of theatricality, "Angels in America" is more often filmed rather than staged.
However, this does not dissuade the Theatre Lab class from utilizing their resources to provide the audience a unique aesthetic in relation to the show’s relevant, cutting-edge themes.
"Each member of the ensemble brings so many marvelous ideas to the rehearsal space. An experience such as this is extremely important for the young theater artist because we are learning to develop our own aesthetics and collaboration skills in order to determine how we wish to make the theater of the future," Gianetti said.
The action will take place in a diorama-like set, emphasizing the show’s relationship with history and alternative approaches to theatricality.
"We pictured the characters and the themes of the work existing in historical archives," Gianetti said. "The behaviors of each of the characters and the importance of the perspective gained through their decisions will be best represented intimately this way."
Theatre Lab provides aspiring theatrical artists the opportunity to explore, research, and experience all of the potentials of the art in an easy-going and highly collaborative environment. Students in the cast and creative team are able to delve into the world of theater tech and design, as well as more administrative tasks such as box office management, marketing, and public relations.
"All members of the ensemble are boundless creators: We have worked on production teams, as dramaturges, as performers, as directors, and as teachers," Gianetti said. "We have formed our own production process and have worked together in order to plan ways we can implement our limited resources."
Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for faculty and staff, and free for students. Because of the show's intimate setting, seating is limited and reserving tickets in advanced is highly recommended. Patrons can reserve tickets at boxoffice@mcla.edu or 413-662-5123. This show has themes and language that are not appropriate for children.
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