"What is to be done?" is the message that Pulitzer Prize winning author Tony Kushner addresses in this weekends play, Slavs!, put on by No Refund Theatre.

The play is set in Russia and is composed of an ensemble of characters that span from 10 to 90 years old that presents their different political and social outlooks of Russia during their lifetime. Each character has a different opinion of what should be done with Russia's failing political system.

This play is a companion piece to Kushner's Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, which received critical acclaim as well as a Pulitzer Prize, and two Tony Awards.

Slavs! focuses on three controversial events, a gay couple, one of whom has AIDS; a Mormon man coming to terms with his sexuality; and the historical figure Roy Cohn who died of AIDS, denying his sexuality until death.

NRT's director Zach Stewart believes that Kushner's intent of this play was to bring to light the calamities occurring outside of America, just like he had described the epidemic of AIDS in America in Angels in America.

Kushner chooses to focus on one of America's biggest enemies, Russia.

The first two acts of the play take place in the mid to late 1980s, before the fall of Russia. The last act takes place in 1992, during broken Capitalism.

There are nine main characters in the play, each representing their political views in the decade in which they lived.

"The characters argue about embracing the new or staying with the old rule in Russia," said assistant director Becky Schreiber. The oldest characters, ages 80 and 90, are career revolutionaries that fought in World War I and World War II. Their hope is for things to get better in Russia.

The middle-aged characters are lifetime bureaucrats that grew up in the system.

They are much more conservative and wish to stick with the Russian ideals.

The younger group grew up under corrupt Russia and they have lost hope in Russian rule.

The play also discusses social issues of human rights and human nature. Kushner embarks upon homosexuality in this play as well.

During the play, a male bureaucrat exiles a female doctor to Siberia after she denied his sexual advances and proclaimed herself a lesbian.

Another issue Kushner revels in are the poor living conditions in Russia.

Part of the play focuses on an eight-year-old girl who has become mute due to the genetic gene passed down to her by grandparents who were exposed to radiation.

Nate Kushner, (senior-English) plays Big Babuska in the play and knows the author personally by relation. Tony is Nate's father's cousin.

"Tony is an out-spoken socialist. He has written essays for publications and plays and puts politics into almost everything he writes," Kushner said.

Kushner admits that it is a weird feeling to be in a relative's play but is enjoying doing it.

"Tony is good about writing words that are fun for actors to say," Kushner said.

The play will be presented at 8 tonight and tomorrow in 111 Forum. Admission is free.