“Greetings Prophet; The Great Work Begins!” Intiman’s “Millennium Approaches” Opens Summer Festival

Marya Sea Kaminski (The Angel) and Adam Standley (Prior Walter) in Intiman Theatre’s “Angels in America,” August 12 – September 21, 2014, at The Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center. Tickets and information at http://www.intiman.org/angels. Photo: Chris Bennion

Intiman Festival’s big gamble officially opens tonight, Thursday, August 14 as their production of  “Millennium Approaches” the first part of Tony Kushner’s two part drama ANGELS IN AMERICA makes its debut. Will Seattle theater fans flock to a revival of a 20 year old play that examines AIDS, politics, race, religion, sodomy, pill addiction, the Reagan Administration, and the Mormon Church that features appearances from real life people like closeted gay right winger Roy Cohn and the ghost of executed spy Ethel Rosenberg? Not to mention it’s a loooooong, two part play that totals over 5 hours in length.

We’re guessing “Yes” is the answer.

Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize/Tony Award/Emmy Award winning masterpiece is as relevant and emotionally powerful today as it was at its debut at San Francisco’s Eureka Theatre Company in 1991 and subsequent Broadway productions in 1993 where it earned accolades and awards. The 2003 HBO adaptation starred Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson and earned 11 Emmy Awards. It’s been rightfully hailed as a one of the great theatrical works of the 20th century.

From their press release:

Performed by an ensemble cast of Pacific Northwest artists, Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches runs Aug. 12 – Sept. 21; and Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika runs Sept. 3 – 21. Tickets are on sale now at Intiman.org.

Directed by Intiman Producing Artistic Director Andrew Russell (Stu for Silverton), these repertory productions provide a rare chance to see both parts of Kushner’s groundbreaking work in close succession (even in the same day).

“Angels in America is a universal tale, and one of the greatest theatrical works of our time,” said Russell. “Tony Kushner writes about catastrophe within marginalized communities in the 1980s, and it doesn’t take much work to connect these stories to our own lives today. More than ever, we Americans – in the face of crumbling structures and systems – must wrestle with how best to navigate the complexities of hope.”

The terrific cast includes local experienced pros like Anne Allgood, Charles Leggett, Timothy McCuen Piggee and Marya Sea Kaminski as well as up and comers like Quinn Franzen and Adam Standley, both members of Seattle’s edgy theater collective, The Satori Group. Relative newcomers to Seattle, Ty Boice and Alex Highsmith round out the cast.

In addition to Andrew Russell as the director, the production team includes Jennifer Zeyl as set designer, Robert J. Aguilar as lighting designer; Matt Starritt doing the sound and Mark Mitchell as principal costume designer and Pete Rush as costumer.

Part 2 of “Angels in America”, the meatier PERESTROIKA will debut on September 5. Both parts will then run in repertory through September 21.

25% off opening weekend tickets are available by using promo code: TAKEFLIGHT

For ticket and more info, go to their website…hopefully they go through and correct the spelling of “millennium”. It IS a bitch to get right…