much information
directly from them. The
[documents] made for a
great chance to find out
about peasant life, mar-
riages, adventures and
risks."
Davis found out
about Martin Guerre
when she happened
upon the judge's report
of the case while doing
research in France.
Although she wanted
only to make a film and
connected with French
filmmakers to do that
(the 1982 movie starred
Gerard Depardieu), she
Groves High School and University of Michigan
realized that much of
graduate Erin Dilly takes the lead role
the information couldn't
of Bertrande in 'Martin Guerre."
be packaged with that
medium.
actress, a member of a
"I wanted to tell the story of
Reconstructionist synagogue in New
Bertrande de Rols, the wife of the
York, where she has considered
real Martin Guerre and the collabo-
becoming a cantor. "I'm in that
rator with the imposter, in a way
[converting] group, and I had to do
that represented the historical evi-
a lot of research.
dence," says Davis about the book
"This production spoke to me in a
that came out in 1983.
lot of different ways because my
Her book also was used as the
mother is Russian Jewish, and my
basis of the 1993 film Sommersby,
father is from Guatemala and
starring Richard Gere and Jodie
Catholic. I was raised Jewish, but
Foster. Davis had no other connec-
I've always had identity and faith
tion with that movie, and objected
issues. The show makes me think
to it because it moved the Guerre
about who I am, what's important
story line into the post-Civil War
and the similarities among all of
era. She thought the imposter idea
these religions and cultures and how
did not fit in with the society of that
strange [it is] that we fight about the
time.
details."
Davis also explains why the reli-
Salguero, who loves the Martin
gious confrontations in 16th-century
music and does a lot of danc-
Guerre
France were more between
ing in the show, started her perfor-
Protestants and Catholics than
mance studies with dance and then
between Christians and Jews.
went on to acting. She has been in
"Protestants and Catholics got
two Broadway shows, Paul Simon's
very ferociously angry toward each
The Capeman and Juan Carien, and
other in the 16th century, and they
two films, Diabolique and The
.fought and killed each other because
Substance of Fire.
they thought the other had the
"We're all peasants in Martin
wrong idea of what it is to be a
Guerre, and the dance is very acro-
Christian," Davis says. "The ques-
batic," she says. "I think the play lets
tion of identity was deeply involved
people learn about the times." Ti
in those struggles, and they took on
a very deep sense of themselves.
"Whereas Protestants and
Martin Guerre will be per-
Catholics intermingled and fought
formed 8 p.m. Tuesdays-
with each other, the Jews were in
Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays
their own world. They lived separate-
and 2 p.m. Saturdays and
ly and looked and dressed different-
Sundays, Dec. 1-19, at the Fisher
ly."
Theatre.
$ 16.50-$62. (313) 872-
As Salguero takes on her part, she
1000.
For
more information
sees these religious issues as very rele-
about
the
musical
and the histo-
vant today, particularly to her.
ry behind it, access the Web site
"Our characters all begin as
at wvv-w.martin-guerre.com .
Catholics, and some convert secretly
to Protestantism," explains the

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•

The Woman Behind
`Martin Guerre'

Meet the native Detroiter who uncovered
the legend that led to a film, a book and,
now, a Broadway-bound musical.

three years ago and moved to
Natalie Zemon Davis, born in
Toronto,
where my husband has
Detroit in 1928, graduated from
been teaching. We had a corn-
Kingsvvood, where she developed a
muter marriage for a while after
love for history.
our children got old enough to be
"My parents didn't say much
in high school."
about their European past and
Allowing time for teaching
interested n in hstory,
i
weren t nterested
graduate students at the
recalls Davis, whose fami-
ly belonged to
Cranbrook alumna University of Toronto,
Davis has been doing
Congregation Shaarey
Natalie Zeman
Davis, right, talks considerable writing. She
Zedek and Temple Beth
with students
has completed Gifts in
El and whose grandfather
during her recent Sixteenth Century France,
was one of the :founders
visit as guest
and is working on Slaves
of the 1-lebrew Free Loan
speaker for
and Queens on Screen, a
Association.
the Sirchio
study of how history is
"They were interested
Distinguished
portrayed in film, and
in being in America and
Lecture Series.
the future, and I
felt a little bit
rootless intellec-
tually. When I
started to study
about French,
Greek and
American history,
I thought it was
wonderful.
"I was always
very interested in
literature as well,
and the Martin
Guerre book
Braided Histories, a study of cul-
moves between literature and his-
tural mixture in the 16th, 18th
tory. When I went to Smith, I was
and 20th centuries.
interested in history, literature and
Earlier books include Women on
I never turned back."
film
the Margins: Three Seventeenth
The author earned a bachelor's
Century Lives (1995) and Fiction
degree at Smith and married
in the Archives: Pardon Tales and
Chandler Davis before graduating.
Their Tellers in Sixteenth Century
She earned her master's degree at
France (1987).
Harvard the same year her hus-
Davis, who recently returned to
band got his doctorate in math.
Michigan to address students at
She finished her doctorate at the
her alma mater, has accepted other
University of Michigan, where her
speaking engagements at
husband had his first job.
Cranbrook. She also visits family,
"I taught at Brown, the
including Gertrude Zemon Gass,
University of Toronto and the
an aunt on her father's side, and
University of California at
the family of Graham Landau, on
Berkeley," Davis says. "I taught for
her mother's side.
18 years at Princeton, where I had
— Suzanne Chessler
a chair. I retired from Princeton

'

.