ing that he should choose to illustrate these stories,
and as I tried to find out why, a whole story unfolded.
"Chagall decided to paint the Arabian Nigh" ts when
he was coming out of a period of deep personal grief.
His wife, Bella, had died immediately after World War
II, when so many of the people he knew were lost
because of the Holocaust, and he was just beginning
to form a relationship with another woman.
"The Arabian Nights' illustrations formed a transi-
tion from that period of grief and sorrow to a new
period of invigoration and love. That, to me, was a
beautiful thought to try to capture in a play."
As he did his research, the playwright was drawn
to aspects of Chagall's personality — the sensitivity
that made the artist take all Comments as highly. per-
sonal, the changeability that made the painter go
from absolutely hating something to loving it and the
contradiction that allowed Chagall to define himself
as a Chasid while ignoring the Chasidic dictum that
forbids reproducing images in paint or otherwise.
The play is set in the late '40s, when Chagall
illustrates the Arabian Nights as it's being read by
Virginia Haggard, the daughter of the author of
King Solomon's Mines and the woman with whom
Chagall would have a son. The play ends while they
are still together.
"The play is shaping up to be quite a visual

delight, as Chagall's paintings are," says Grossman,
who has performed many roles for Meadow Brook
and the Jewish Ensemble Theatre. "As the play is
written, Chagall is at a critical time in his life. He's
lost his faith in his art and has to discover where to
find the love inside himself to paint again.
"My parents came from an area very close to the
place Chagall came from, where Poland and Russia
abut each other, so the play is close to my heart as I
equate the background of a man like Chagall with
my background," Grossman says.
Alrawi, whose plays have been produced in
England as well as the United States, does not go
deeply into religious differences. He treats the
romantic issues as he deems appropriate for the
youngsters who will see the production.
"Ultimately, I want people to-have a good experi-
ence at the theater," says Alrawi, who will be an
upcoming lecturer on theater at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. "I want them to feel they've
enjoyed themselves and come away with a better
understanding of the man, his times and the stories
themselves.
"I hope audiences will share in the generous spirit
that Chagall had and maybe look up the Arabian
Nights and read them rather than just watch the
Disney versions."

Alrawi ultimately wants audiences to appreciate
the impact of art, regardless of form.
"The basic idea behind Scheherazade's stories is
the redemptive power of art because by the end of
(her stories), the king has fallen in love with her and
can't kill her," the playwright explains. "The
assumption is that she could see something good in
him that he couldn't see in himself until he had lis-
tened to the stories and come to an understanding.
"Chagall also believed in the redemptive power of
art," Alrawi says. "The artist once told a friend that
(although) the Nazis destroyed the villages and the
towns he knew, he recreated them in his paintings,
which he considered his victory.
"I believe that politics divides people but culture
brings them together, and that's wonderful and pow-
erful. I think we'd all like to believe that the qualities
that enrich the spirit are more important than those
qualities motivated by ideology, political expediency
or personal gain." ❑

Chagall's Arabian Nights. runs March 15 April 9
at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of
Oakland University, Rochester. $19.50-$35.
Starting times vary. Call (248) 377-3300.

-

Chagall Events

Audiences are invited to explore

the play Chagall's Arabian

Nights and the artistry of the

Russian painter Marc Chagall

at these special events:

• Play previews — Early performances
will test the play March 15-17.

• Playwright Karim Alrawi speaks
about his play between 7 and 7:45
p.m, Wednesday, March 15, under
the sponsorship of the Rochester
Hills Public Library.

• Lecture and Luncheon —
University of Windsor art history
professor Michael Farrell, in col-
laboration with Meadow Brook
Theatre and Paint Creek Center
for the Arts, will speak on the life
and work of Chagall at 10 a.m.

Friday, March 31. Lunch follows
in Meadow Brook Hall's
Christopher Wren dining room.
$35 for PCCA members/$45 non-
members. (248) 651-4110.

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