NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:For further information contact:
April 17, 2009
/
541-552-6347 / 541-552-6093
SOU Department of Theatre Arts presents
“Icarus” by Edwin Sánchez
(Ashland, Ore.) –Southern Oregon University Department of Theatre Arts presents "Icarus" by Edwin Sánchez. Performances run at 8p.m. on Thursday-Saturday, May 14-16 and Thursday-Sunday, May 21-24. Matinees at 2p.m. are set for Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24.
A brother and sister, with a mysterious homeless companion, move into a beach house. They are joined by a man who wears a ski mask. An aging actress, craving adoring fans, lives next door. Through all their quests and challenges, it is dreams and fantasies that fuel their lives and carry them above the everyday world.
Bruce Weber of the New York Times describes Sánchez as a writer "with the imagery of a magic realist and a sweetly poetic sensibility…and 'Icarus,' like the myth of the wax-winged flier, is a story about the nobility of dreams."
“Icarus asks interesting and personal questions that will touch every soul regardless of age and background,” said director Jimmy Garcia, a senior in the department. “It’s about our perception of beauty, about how our society decides what is beautiful and the consequences of those decisions.
“This play offers the audience member a chance to examine their own ideas of beauty, dreams, and the power of love. Not just romantic love, but also love for family and love of self.”
David Demuth plays Mr. Ellis, Hannah Grenfell plays Altagracia, TonyKupsick is Primitivo, Jorge Paniagua is Beau, and Ashley Reverman plays The Gloria.
Scenic design is by Ryan Nicolai, costume design by Caitlin Bedford, lighting design by Max Bowman and sound design by Chris Sackett. Danielle Pecoff is the assistant director and Stephen Abts is stage manager.
Garcia has been an actor for 17 years at theatres in the Northwest such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage Theatre and the Miracle Theatre. He’s taught private classes for 10 years in Los Angeles, Portland and the Rogue Valley, including at IMD/Image and Modeling Development. This directing role is his final project in the SOU Department of Theatre Arts.
Tickets are $18 regular, $16 senior, $5 students. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the SOU Theatre Arts Box Office at 552-6348. More information is available at sou.edu/theatre/calendar.
-SOU-
Photo credit: Ezra Severin
Photo captions:
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Hannah Grenfell as Altagracia and Tony Kupsick as Primitivo face Jorge Paniagua playing Beau in Edwin Sánchez’ “Icarus,” running May 14-24 at Southern Oregon University’s Department of Theatre Arts.
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Hannah Grenfell plays Altagracia, Tony Kupsick, center,plays Primitivo and Jorge Paniagua plays Beau in “Icarus” by Edwin Sánchez,running May 14-24 at Southern Oregon University’s Department of Theatre Arts.
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Jorge Paniagua plays Beau, Hannah Grenfell plays Altagracia,and Tony Kupsick, bottom,plays Primitivo in “Icarus” by Edwin Sánchez,running May 14-24 at Southern Oregon University’s Department of Theatre Arts.