FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                CONTACT:        GINA LOVOI                                                                 THE WHOLE JUAN SITUATION WRITTEN AND PERFORMED by Gina Lovoi May 17, 1996, Chicago, IL Gina Lovoi will perform The Whole Juan Situation at 8:00pm on two consecutive Thursday nights, June 13th and 20th at the The Neo-Futurarium on N. Ashland Street.  This will represent the first time the acclaimed School of the Art Institute of Chicago M.F.A. thesis performance will be presented to the public in its entirety.       The Whole Juan Situation is an autobiographical story about a summer waitressing job at The Garden Restaurant located in the middle of The Art Institute of Chicago.  More specifically it is about her interaction with a busboy named Juan who made employment there memorable.       Subplots of the story include co-workers and a fantasy world of pop culture.  When looking for help and advice, Gina turned to the cast of characters she was working with:   Matt, the gay playwright who thought anyone as good-looking as Juan would never go for someone like her; Catherine, the hyperactive, opinionated chain smoker who never shied away from assessing how males and females should properly behave themselves; and Jonathan, a neurotic friend who could not understand why she was wasting her time obsessing over a busboy.  When her peer’s advice was not enough she turned to early music videos and television icons.  The Waitresses were able to tell her what boys like, The Talking Heads told her to stop making sense of the situation, and Adam Ant showed her that she was just desperate, but not serious.       The Whole Juan Situation combines physical and written comedy with video to give a performance of pure pop culture that aims to entertain.  It also questions issues like race and sexual orientation in relation to how young Americans conduct themselves in relationships. Gina Lovoi is a performance, installation and video artist living in Chicago.  She has performed at N.A.M.E. Gallery, The Blue Rider Theater, Randolph Street Gallery, and Café Voltaire with The Vertigo Show. When:  Thursday, June 13th and Thursday, June 20th, 1996  8:00 p.m. Where:  The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland  (312) 275-5255 Admission:  $6 General Admission, $4 Students ###