'Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens' Sept. 27-30

Augustana College will present “Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens,” a dramatic musical theatre piece composed of free- verse monologues and songs that reflect the lives of people who have lived with and died from AIDs.

The book and lyrics are by Billy Russell with music by Janet Hood. The work was inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology." The monologues is from the viewpoint of people who have died from AIDS; the songs convey the sorrow of friends and family members,

“I wanted to choose a piece of theatre that celebrates the diversity, inclusion and community that we strive for daily,” said Shelley Cooper, director and assistant professor of theatre arts. “I want this to be an opportunity to share stories that are often not heard or talked about. Hopefully, through our performance you will take away that without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”

 “Elegies for Angels, Punk, and Raging Queens” features an ensemble cast of more than 20 Augustana students, with additional students assuming roles of music supervisor, dramaturg and stage manager.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27-29 and  1:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Brunner Theatre Center's Black Box. Tickets are $10; $7 for senior citizens and Augustana faculty/staff; $5 for children and local students; and free for Augustana students with ID.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, through the Augustana Ticket Office 309-794-7306 or online.

Viewer discretion is advised as the performance contains mature subject matter.

"Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens" was written in the late 1980s, originally called "The Quilt." It was produced first at the Ohio Theatre in Soho in New York City in 1989, where the new title was added.