Aurora announces new season

Aurora Theatre Company artistic director Tom Ross has announced his company's 17th season, opening with what is being touted as an "American Trilogy," presenting three views of the U.S. at different times in history.Here's the season at a glance:The Best Man by Gore Vidal (Aug. 22-Sept. 28) -- Ross directs Vidal's political thriller set at a national political convention as two viable candidates sling mud at one another. Hmmm. Sounds timely. Vidal wrote the play in 1960, the same year he ran for Congress.The Devil's Disciple by George Bernard Shaw (Oct. 31-Dec. 7) -- Barbara Oliver, an Aurora founder and something of a Shaw expert, is at the helm of this comedy set in a New England town during the Revolutionary War. Shaw pokes fun at religious piety and political arrogance.Betrayed by George Packer (Jan. 23-March 1, 2009) -- Currently a hit off-Broadway, this is a theatrical adaptation of Packer's New Yorker magazine article about three Iraqi translators who risk their lives to aid the American war effort. Director is tba.Miss Julie by Henrik Ibsen (April 3-May 10, 2009) -- Mark Jackson, one of the Bay Area's most exciting directors, returns to the Aurora (his Salome was quite memorable) returns to another classic theater diva. What's next, Lulu?Jack Goes Boating by Bob Glaudini (June 12-July 19, 2009) -- Joy Carlin (another Bay Area treasure) directs a quirky romantic comedy about a slacker who enlists his friends to help him woo the girl of his dreams by cooking a gourmet meal to impress and learning how to swim so he can take her for a boat ride in Central Park. Let's just say that in addressing this plan, obstacles mount.Season tickets range from $130 to $210. The Aurora is at 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. Call 510-343-4822 or visit www.auroratheatre.org for information.