of vignettes that center on the demise
of upper-middle-class WASPs. 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27 and 28;
2 p.m. Sunday, March 1. $12/adults,
$10/students. Village Players Theater,
752 Chestnut St., Birmingham. (248)
644-2075.
Berkley High School presents the
suspenseful drama The Uninvited 8
p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March
4 and 5. The production roster
includes student director Ronit Feld-
man and cast members Eli Magid,
Blair Mellow, Rachel Lutz, Goldie
Greenstein and Raya Samet. $3
advance/$4 at the door. Berkley High
SChool auditorium, 2325 Catalpa.
(248) 545-2021.
The Compleat Works of Wilm.
Shkspr. (abridged) comes to Ann
Arbor's Performance Network March
5-8 and 12-15. Show times are 8 p.m.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2
p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 7 p.m.
Sundays. $12/general admission;
$9/students and seniors. Pay-what-
you-can every Thursday. 408 W.
Washington, Ann Arbor. (734) 663-
0681.

The Irish Rovers perform at two venues.

Small Screen

Set your VCR for the wee-hour air-
ing of Israel: A Nation Sings, a musi-
cal cultural tour of Israel's 50-year his-
tory, written and produced by the
Jewish Theological Seminary. Perfor-
mance by Israeli artists David Broza,
Noa, the Gevatron Folk Singers,
Chava Alberstein and the Israeli Cam-
erata. 4:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7, on
WXYZ-TV Channel 7.

Family Fun

Paper Bag Productions presents the
classic favorite The Wizard of Oz at

the Historic Players Club, 3321 East
Jefferson, Detroit. The cast includes
30 Detroit-area young people. Satur-
days and Sundays, Feb. 28-April 11.
On Saturdays, lunch at noon, show at
1 p.m. On Sundays, lunch at 1 p.m.,
show at 2 p.m. $7.50, includes lunch.
(810) 662-8118.
Uncover the origins of the sympho-
ny by solving riddles posed by the
Symphonic Sphinx in Raiders of the
Lost Symphony, a Detroit News Young
People's Concert 11 a.m. Saturday,
Feb. 28, at Orchestra Hall. The con-
cert features area high school choirs.
$7-$18. (313) 576-5100.
Songstress/puppeteer Maureen
Schiffman and her puppet pal Coco
perform the Animal Fair Show 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, at the Washtenaw
Farm Council Grounds, corner Saline
and Pleasant Lake Road, Ann Arbor.
The performance is part of Family
Fun Day, 1-5 p.m.

Art Scene

The Art Museum Project, a volun-
teer arts-support group at the Univer-
sity of Michigan-Dear-
born,-sponsors a series
of art tours in March
and April. The March
tour dates are: March 7,
the "Photo/Print" tour,
featuring a presentation
by photographer Linda
Solomon and visits to
the Stewart & Stewart
Workshop of Fine
Prints, Halsted Photog-
raphy Gallery and the
studio of Balthazar
Korab; and March 28,
the "Royal Oak" tour, including visits
to the studio of artist Richard Kozlow,
the Sybaris and Revolution galleries
and the home of a private collector.
Call for more information. $20/Fine
Art Associates members, $30/non-
members, includes lunch. 9 a.m.-3:30
p.m. (313) 593-5058.

Whatnot

Stars on Ice, featuring Olympic
and World Champion skaters Scott
Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Katari-
na Witt, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Paul
Wylie, Kurt Browning and Brian
Orser, wows audiences at The Palace
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. $42, $30.
(248) 645-6666.

Contra Band

following the dance.
ou're walking past the First island
Kaufman is especially excited about
Baptist Church in Royal
some of the upcoming special dances,
Oak and you hear lots of
including tomorrow night's Starry
laughter, great music and
Night for a Ramble, featuring Glen
phrases like "do si do" coming from
Morningstar of White Lake, Steve
the building. Must be a bunch of
Gold of Royal Oak, and David Glick
pious, middle-aged types doing that
of Novi, with Aunt Lu and the Oak-
old country square dance thing, you
land County All-Stars and the Paint
say to yourself.
Creek Country Dance Orchestra.
Wrong. It's got nothing to do with
Kaufman wasn't always a contra
religion and it's not square-dancing
man. In fact, he'd never heard.of it
that draws dozens of fun-seekers of all until his wife, Robin, introduced
ages out to this dance haven on the
him to the dance some 15 years ago.
fourth Saturday of every month. It's
She was an active dancer when the
contra dancing. And it's as popular at
two were courting in New Jersey.
this Royal Oak site as it was in the
"On our third date, she brought me
1700s when the English and French
to an all-day dance event where the
took to the floor with their swaying
Wild Asparagus were playing. Little
skirts and swinging moves.
"Contra dancing is kind of
like square dancing but in lines,
rather than squares," explains
Larry Kaufman, president of the
Oakland County Traditional
Dance Society (OCTDS), of
which five of the nine board
members are Jewish. Twenty of
the dance society's 70 members
are Jewish as well.
"Historically," Kaufman says,
contra dancing was popular
Contra dancing at Lovett Hall.
when the English settlers came
to the United States. They
did I know they were one of the lead-
brought their dance and mixed it
ing dance bands in the country," Kauf-
with French quadrangle dancing."
man says. In fact, Wild Asparagus
Kaufman says contra dancing
entertained at the couple's wed di
became extremely popular during
Today, Kaufman happily presides
Henry Ford's time. In fact, Ford loved over the dance society while Robin
the dancing so much, he built a dance edits the society's newsletter and is
hall, Lovett Hall at Henry Ford
the group's treasurer.
Museum & Greenfield Village, where
Kaufman can't say enough about
contra dancing is held 1:30 p.m. on
contra dancing's benefits and the
the first Sunday of every month.
monthly get-togethers. "It's healthy,
Kaufman, a project manager at
no drugs or alcohol are involved and
Detroit Edison (he oversees the geo-
kids love it, too," says Kaufman.
thermal program), is also the vice
— Megan Swoyer
president of the Ann Arbor Council
for Traditional Music and Dance.
"Starry Night for a Ramble"
"That has a nice acronym —
takes place 8-11 p.m. Saturday,
ACT MAD" he jokes.
The nice things about the lively
Feb. 28, at the First Baptist
Church of Royal Oak, 301 N.
contra dances are that you don't need
Main St., Royal Oak. $7 per per-
to bring a partner, and it's open to
beginners. "We have a lot of single
son at the door. For more infor-
people who come out for this and
mation on the Saturday night
dances and other upcoming
really have a great time," says Kauf-
dances, call (248) 851-0463.
man, adding that several dancers
often will head to a nearby coney

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