[ This Just In! ]

For Immediate Release
Date: September 14, 2004

Salvage Vanguard Theater Promises to Humor, Titillate, and Disturb With New Production

AUSTIN, TX--Salvage Vanguard Theater has added a show to its 2005 season, the hilarious, titillating, and ultimately disturbing play Ajax (por nobody) by Alice Tuan.

Ajax (por nobody) juxtaposes the LA sex industry with Greek mythology. In the play, Annette throws a party. She hopes it will be perfect. But as desire and fate come together, things don't go quite as she plans. The "Ajax" of the title refers both to the contemporary cleaning product and to the mythological greek character who loses his mind and commits suicide after losing Achilles' armor to Odysseus.

Ajax examines how the highly violent and sexualized culture of the Greeks has become a basis for our own violent and sexualized culture.

"If you look at Greek satyr plays, with their giant phalluses and at Greek tragedy where people poke out their own eyes, then you can get a sense of where this world is coming from," says SVT Artistic Director Jason Neulander. "But then you need to add the element of comedy. Ajax is very, very funny."

"We presented a reading of the show in April as part of our 10th Anniversary celebration," continues Neulander. "It polarized the audience."

One audience member told Neulander that it was one of the three best plays he had ever seen. Another audience member said, "I have to tell you, Jason, I hated Ajax."

Neulander continues: "This play is not for everyone. It's definitely not for kids. But when I saw it in New York in 2001 I was completely blown away and I've been plotting to bring it to Austin ever since."

SVT's production of Ajax features Shannon McCormick as Jesse, Jude Hickey as Alexander, Karinna Perez as Alma, and Etta Sanders as Annette. Award-winning actress Lee Eddy provides stage directions.

Each of the characters correlates in some way to Greek mythological characters. Alma's screen name, for example, is Penelope. An American Music Award becomes the contemporary metaphor for Achilles' sword, upon which Ajax impaled himself.

"We're doing it as a reading because it is too disturbing to actually stage," says Neulander. "But the play is hysterically funny when its read. And it will definitely disturb."

Ajax (por nobody) by Alice Tuan runs Thursdays through Saturdays, opening Friday October 15 and running through Saturday November 6. All performances are at 8 PM at The Church of the Friendly Ghost (209 Pedernales). Tickets are $10 to all the performances. For more information call 474-SVT-6 or visit <http://www.salvagevanguard.org>.

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