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Page 8 The Banner News February 13,1997 Angels continued from page one sexual situations and only slight changes to the playwright’s call for male nudity, according to Bowen. “There is no nudity in this pro duction. I’m not afraid of nudity on stage. That scene in this play is for showing the ravages of the disease on the body,” Bowen said. “I know our audience well enough to know that many would be un comfortable with that scene and it would fail if we did it com pletely nude.” Opponents of the play in Char lotte used conflicts between the content of the play and obscenity laws in their attempts to ban “An- gels.” Some might see the drama department’s decision to alter this scene as an avoidance of confront ing local obscenity laws. “I don’t think it’s our job to confront the obscenity laws of North Carolina. It’s our job to present a show with the most meaning possible. If we had a proscenium theater, I would con sider it, but not in an arena,” Bowen said. Every other aspect of this pro duction, however, will adhere to Kushner’s wishes.“The theater department handles the difficult scenes by not cutting them but by staying true to the text. They made sure that in no way is the focus on shock value but on the more subtle meaning of the acting taking place,” said Jason D. Watson, who plays a lead role. Cast, crew, and faculty discussed the potential of next week’s pro duction at Carol Belk Theatre to overcome the daunting questions that issues ofAIDS, homosexual ity, Reagan-era politics, and pro fanity, as presented in “Angels,” might pose to some viewers’ value systems. “The play provides the UNCA community with the challenge to rethink some of its fundamental beliefs while providing audiences with the opportunity to learn from people whose values and life expe riences, upon first viewing, may tends from the particulars of the plot to universal experiences of all viewers. “It is about AIDS and about a Mormon couple, of whom one person is a drug addict and one is a closet homosexual. The specific “I want the play to educate about AIDS, but also about social reali ties and human relationships.” Denise Crowell, cast member appear to be utterly different from our own,” said Ken Betsalel, Breman professor of social rela tions, who specializes in issues of law and the politics of culture. By presenting audience mem bers with the opportunity to re consider their own value systems, Betsalel, who wrote the program notes for “Angels,” said that the ater can teach viewers about them selves. “That’s something the best American theater has always done — it has pushed audiences some times further than they are will ing to go. The final analysis is that this play is more than about the controversy that it is sure to in voke, rather it is about a diverse nation coming to terms with it’s own identity,” said Betsalel. And those involved with the play hope that the campus will respond differently to the contro versial themes and forms than some citizens in Charlotte did in March 1996. The meaning of the play, said those taking part in “Angels,” ex problems become universal as we all have to deal with leaving some one,” Watson said. Other meanings of the play in volve American politics. “It’s really about character and about coming out in the broadest sense. By coming out, I mean it is a play in which American history and politics are expressed in the characters,”said Betsalel. “The play operates on a number of levels — the purely personal, in which characters come to terms with their own issues, and at an other level profoundly about American politics. “It is the struggle between com peting notions of who we are. Are we a nation that keeps a blind eye to the uses and abuses of power? Or do we live by our ideals?” Betsalel said. Despite the sadness of the sub ject matter, Bowen said, the play ends with hope. “I always like to put a label on a play. This is a celebration of hope.” “By not glossing over experi ences such as AIDS, addiction. denial, and disease, Kushner shows you not only a nihilistic outcome but what could be a very real and very honest experience. But Kushner ends with a message of hope,” said Watson. Bowen expects a smooth run of “Angels.” “The caliber perfor mances that they are doing for a university are quite impressive. Design is excellent,” said Bowen. The cast features one equity ac tor, Kermit Brown, who plays the role of Roy Cohn, the real-life political wheeler-dealer and law yer infamous for his role in the McCarthy-era witch hunts. “I want the play to educate about AIDS but also about social reali ties and human relationships. One of Kushner’s big points is the bla tant devaluation of human rela tionships in the political culture. We need each other as people,” said Denise Crowell, a senior drama major who plays Hannah Pitt and a fifty-five year-old gay male. “It will be successful if it starts a conversation, to serve as testi mony, from which people can make connections with them selves,” Watson said. Because of the universal emo tions the play provokes and be cause of its multiple levels of meaning, those involved with the play said that it reaches beyond the possibly offensive particulars. For all viewers, they said, “An gels” can be a success next week. “Despite the potential for im perfections that exists in any pro duction, and despite the fact that Tony Kushner is not Shakespeare, this is a play worth seeing,” said Betsalel. And if successful, the play will give its viewers something to dis cuss over wine afterwards, said Bowen. Latter-Day Saints prepare for ‘Angels By Matthew Gibson Copy Editor In an attempt to minimize controversies that “Angels in America could instigate for Mormon viewers, the Latter-day Sain ts of UNCA will hold a discussion of the play in Owen Conference Center Friday Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. I think that most Mormons would be offended by the play because of its profane languageand because it’s about gay issues,” Hardy said. Mormons don’t like to think about gay issues, even though some of them are. The whole idea of a Mormon gay character would be offensive, even blasphemous,” said Grant Hardy, assistant professor of history and advisor for the newly-formed Latter-day Saints of UNCA. Some of the main characters in “Angels in America” are Mormon. The play has lots of Mormon imagery, and the angels of‘Angels in America’ are based on Mormon angels, according to Hardy. Most of the Mormon subject matter that playwright Tony Kushner uses in the play occurs in part two, which Theatre UNCA will not present. Hardy said that the Mormon association is making arrangements for discussion of the play not only for Mormons but for all conser vatively religious viewers. It s a chance for conservatively religious people who have concerns for this play to come and discuss it and to explore that a little more fully than they might otherwise, rather than dismissing it out of hand,” Hardy said. The speaker at the discussion, Michael Evenden, a practicing Mormon, serves as chair of the department of theater studies at Emory University. He authored an article for a Mormon journal discussing ‘Angels in America,’ in terms of its strengths and weak nesses in approaching Mormon issues. “It’s not a chance to defend the honor of the church. It’s a chance to explain some of the Mormonism in the play that might go unnoticed,” Hardy said. “The play isn’t an anti-Mormon writing. It’s about loss, authentic ity, and loyalty, which are universal. It needs to be judged as a work of literature or a polemic,” said Hardy. He added that the play should not be a concern for most Mormons. “If you can get past some of the overt sexuality and the profanity, viewers will find that this play has some important things to say about spiritual experience. Part one would offend any conservative ■eligious person, not just Mormons,” said Hardy. However, it’s not just a story about gays but also about religious experience, Hardy said. “One of the messages is that sometimes God may speak at inconvenient times with things we don’t want to hear.” At press time, the Latter-day Saints discussed the possibility of co sponsoring the discussion with the Center for Jewish Studies. The Banner regrets that attempts to confirm this motion were unsuccess ful. ‘ 'S W=^ uatmTmt C rc c n PHOTO COURTESY OF MOUNTAIN EXPRESS wide greenway system and will serve as a model for future devel opment. “Our ultimate goal is linking all the communities together,” said Kopf. He described the greenway as a social way for people to meet and a future link between neighborhood schools, parks and shops. Just as the city plans to develop a network of greenways, Byers said the university is speculating about similar plans. “In the future, it would be desir able for the university to make its own connections to this stretch of the greenway by building ex tensions on campus,” said Byers. He also highlighted the possi bility of connecting the campus to the French Broad River. “There are a lot of benefits — societal, ecological, even eco nomical,” said Eichhorst of greenway systems in general. Eichhorst also mentioned the added businesses that could spring up as a result of greenway traffic. “It’s a very popular conserva tionist strategy,” Eichhorst said, referring to Boulder, Colo., and Portland, Ore., as examples of greenway-friendly cities. “When it comes to greenways, Asheville needs to jump on the bandwagon,” said Eichhorst. The Weaver Boulevard Greenway conceptual plan If you have any brains at all, youll be aware of the danger of depression* Depression is a suppression of brain activity that can strike anyone. It's powerful, it’s constant, and it makes life unbearable. It’s also readily, medically treatable. And that’s something everyone should know. #1 Cause of Suicide UNTRe/iT£0 DiPRBSS/ON http://www.save.org Gym continued from page one During this time, “Maggie said that she had kicked out seven other people before we got there, but those seven people had noth ing to do with our situation,” said Carlton. The students were told they should take their problem to Dr. Eric lovacchini, vice chancellor for student affairs. Athletic department employees are under his authority of lovacchini. “We just want to resolve this peacefully,” said Smith, and she hoped the Monday meeting would help. On the day of the incident, it was agreed that there would be a meeting to bring back everyone involved and discuss the situa tion. After the meeting. Smith still believed the situation needed to be resolved. The student suspen sions were upheld, and the ap peals process was discussed. The appeal will go to lovacchini, said Smith. She fig ured that was probably the best approach to the problem at this time. Following the meeting, Carlton’s view of the situation had not changed. Referring to Smith, she said, “If you’re going to be the so- called head, train your staff and be consistent.” Carlton felt that the different staff members that had ap proached them told them differ ent and conflicting messages. “Maggie already had her opin ion about who she was going to side with,” said Carlton, refer ring to Smith standing by and supporting the members of her staff. The four students involved in the situation. Smith, three pub lic safety officers, and two fitness center staff members all attended the mediation session. Re^ulav Gj^biner^ khow wf>at t(r FREE (h 3UV BrakjaitEMk Cavd StVK^Wf’l (W'A|(t yn* «S*i mix, BBiOTS BAILS' if r I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I u I I I I I I I & I I I I I I I ym Amenica Welcome Back UNCA Students Clk©ek Onat ©m Wmt©ir Specials 251-2121 258-8266 252-7248 640 Merrimon Ave. TTi Tunnel Rd. 805 Patton Ave. (Coupon Redeemable at All Locations) Sun Capsule 1/2 OFF One coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offer. 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Feb. 13, 1997, edition 1
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