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All-female cast stages irreverent adult comedy

Feb. 4, 2005

KALAMAZOO--James Daniels directs an all-female cast in a rollicking satire of the world of theatre, "Anton in Show Business," for seven performances in York Arena Theatre at Western Michigan University.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 10-12 and 17-19, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13. These dates differ from the originally announced schedule. All seating is general admission.

"Anton in Show Business" premiered at the Humana Festival of New American plays in 2000. Its author, Jane Martin, is a Pulitzer-Prize nominee and a winner of several American Theatre Critics Association prizes for new work.

The best-laid plans often unravel--especially when a Hollywood starlet gets involved. This very scenario unfolds during the University Theatre's production of "Anton in Show Business," when a TV actress known for her roles as "a girlfriend" decides that she needs some real acting experience. She finds a theatre company that will let her star in a classic play by Anton Chekhov, and then turns the play--and the company--upside down. As the she fires directors, offends funders, and ruins a marriage, she creates an irreverent comedy for adult audiences.

The cast of "Anton in Show Business" includes: WMU juniors Jessica Bocade, Catherine Dildilian, Amy Persons and Amie Randolph; sophomores Kristin Joy Greer and Alexandra Grossi; and freshman Leigha Jahansooz. The production staff includes junior David Alpert, stage manager; sophomore Megan Lammy, lighting designer, and sophomore Brock Yordy, assistant director. Director Daniels is a WMU professor of theatre.

An opening night reception sponsored by Cosmos' Cucina takes place following the Feb. 10 performance.

Tickets for "Anton in Show Business" may be purchased by calling or visiting the University Theatre Ticket Office between noon and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number is (269) 387-6222. Admission for the general public is $16, $12 for senior citizens and WMU faculty and staff, and $7 for students. The box offices at Miller Auditorium and at the Epic Center in downtown Kalamazoo also sell tickets to University Theatre productions.

The 2004-05 season of the University Theatre is made possible through a partnership with Millennium Restaurant Group.

Media contact: Patrick Donnelly, 269 387-6222, patrick.donnelly@wmich.edu

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