ANGELS IN AMERICA

BY MAYRA MARTINEZ
Editor

Joe and Louis share an intimate moment together. LUBOMIRA RAYKOVA / GUARDSMAN

The City College theatre department production of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” opened at a funeral and ended with an ethereal winged creature in a flowing white robe descending from the heavens.

In between, the audience was taken into bedrooms, bathrooms, dark park benches, snowy Antarctica and into the lives of Americans young and old living out very complicated situations that have evolved in modern day life.

The play, performed at the Diego Rivera Theatre, takes place in the mid-80s, when Ronald Reagan was president and America was being bowled over by the reality of AIDS.

Director John Wilk, who also designed the set, spoke of the play’s controversial but important subject matter. “It’s a well written play about contemporary issues and betrayal. It’s about sexual politics and change.” he said.

Central character Louis deals with the life altering lesion on his boyfriend’s chest. Harper Pitt, a Valium addict, can only tolerate her existence when it is in her delusional fantasy world.

Her husband, Joe Pitt finds himself attracted to Louis who he consoles one day in the men’s bathroom at work. Prior Walter, on his deathbed, is left alone, desperate and frightened with only ghosts by his side.

“The subject is timely. It’s got a lot to say politically about the whole beginning of the AIDS epidemic,” said lighting director Jeff Kelly. “Not much is being done.”

The characters live out life’s inevitable tragedies. Betrayal, guilt, desertion, devastating secrets and lies are lived in the backdrop of the beginning of a disease that to this day carries a societal stigma.

Stellar performances by the cast gave the characters real humanity and frailty that emphasized the powerful subject matter. Their portrayals of these heady roles brought real credibility and weight to the characters.

Teresita Soto, who stole the show as the delusional Harper Pitt, was honored to be playing such a celebrated character of theater. “It’s a gorgeous work of literature. The writing is really complex and the characters are really complex,” she said.

The sets of the play were effective in taking the audience into the different worlds of each character. The different story lines of the characters played out right next to each other, sometimes even at the same time. While Harper sat in her kitchen keeping company with her imaginary friends, Louis and Joe shared their first kiss on a park bench five feet away.

While the angel does make her glorious appearance, it is the people that have made this play one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century.

In this play, the intricate realities of life are on display, as brutal and raw as they really are. “It’s a brilliant play. It’s about America.” Wilk said. “What more could you ask for?”

e-mail: e_a@theguardsman.com

WOMEN'S CELEBRATION

BY JENNIFER LOPEZ
Staff Writer

LESLIE HICKS / GUARDSMAN

The Women’s Resource Center held its annual Woman of Color celebration honoring Black History Month and Women’s History Month on February 22 at the Ocean Campus student union.

Special mention was given to the late Rosa Parks, to whom Women’s History Month is dedicated, and the recently passed Coretta Scott King.

Each year the student run organization, Women United, with support of the women’s studies department gathers to share visual art, poetry, dance, music and food.

Women of all cultures, renowned and amateurs, have spoken at these events sharing experiences and achievements since its conception in 1996.

“Although the performers and artists are women of color, men and women of all cultures are always welcome,” coordinator Marcelina Camacho said.

This year’s performance featured Sistaz of the Underground, an all female “b-girl” group that promotes health, fitness and strength through hip-hop.

The dancers wowed the crowd with acrobatic moves and synchronized routines while coordinators served rice, crispy tofu, pad-thai with chicken, mixed vegetables and strawberry crème cake. DJ Deeandroid played funky beats throughout the two-hour celebration.

Student James Grigsby said he was happy to support every one, especially people of color. “Plus the food helps!”

In the entry way a white canvas was set up fully equipped with supplies. The canvas was open to all students to freely express their version of “Self Love”, the theme for the day. The canvas is the second of student created works of art the Women’s Resource Center plans to display in its office in Smith Hall.

“It’s a real nice gathering. I’m enjoying it,” said Marquitta Collins who learned about the event in her women’s health class.

Along the walls were various pamphlets and information sheets on the center and its affiliates. These included the Stay-in-School Family Resource Center and Project SURVIVE, a peer education dating violence prevention program.

“I heard about the gathering from hanging out at the women’s center while I was checking out a library book,” said Alex Henderson, a student who praised the services provided at the center which include providing students free condoms and women’s hygiene products.

The Women’s Resource Center is full of resources for all students to take advantage of. Along with a small but growing library, the center also houses a small computer lab, workshops, lectures, films and other events in particular interest to women students.

The Women of Color gathering marks the beginning of a long list of activities during Women’s History month. Workshops, film screenings, readings, self-defense classes and many performances are planned for this upcoming March.

e-mail: e_a@theguardsman.com