been recognized through the American
Academy of Arts and Letters Award for
Distinguished Service to the Arts, a
Career Achievement Award in
Professional Theatre from the
Association for Theatre in Higher
Education and a surprising medal from
the Egyptian government for his con-
tribution to world theater.
"Almost all my work has Jewish roots
because I do," says Brustein, whose
only family ties to the stage reach to
his immigrant father, who sold candy
in New York's Yiddish Theater. "I
recently had a lot of fun working on an
adaptation of Shlemiel the First."
While Brustein had done the play at
Yale, he turned it into a musical with
the help of the Klezmer Conservatory
Band. After enjoying the instrumental-
ists, he thought the play could be
changed to capitalize on their talents.
Brustein, who is a member of the
Hebrew Center on Martha's Vineyard
and has taken his company to Israel,
only recently began writing original
plays. The latest two capture Jewish
families. Nobody Dies on Friday has to
do with Marilyn Monroe living with
the family of drama teacher Lee
Strasberg. Face-Lift tackles the issue of
date rape.
"While I've done adaptations for a
long time, I've just done original plays
since I met my second wife, Doreen
Beinart, who's heading up the Human
Rights Film Festival at [Harvard
University's] Kennedy School of
Government," says Brustein. (His first
wife died in 1979, and he's been mar-
ried to Beinart for five years). "This
kind of writing is a whole new world
for me.
When not involved with theater
projects, the father of one and stepfa-
ther of two enjoys good food, relaxing
at movies and conversations with
warm-hearted people.
"I'm continually refreshed and excit-
ed by the theatrical work that I do,"
Brustein says. "I happen to be in a
wonderful field that never becomes
dull. There are always some new works
to come along and wonderful young
people who give me energy and help
me see things differently."

❑

The King Stag performances for University
Musical Society are part of an
International Theater Festival, the first in
the 122-year history of UMS.
The festival also features a Samuel
Beckett mini-festival performed by the

J

Gate Theatre of Dublin (Ireland);

Friday, October 20, 8

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre • Ann Arbor

PM

Hill Auditorium • Ann Arbor

One of today's most prominent

Opera's "Prince of Wales" is only

and sought-after bass-baritones,

35 years old and is one of the most

Jose van dam was born in Brussels,

charismatic and talented singers

Belgium in 1940. His 40-year career

currently on the scene. Winning the

has included performances in all of

Lieder Prize at the 1989 Cardiff Singer

the great opera houses of the world,

of the World contest catapulted his

with a repertoire that ranges widely

career, and the past decade has been

from Mozart to Messiaen.

filled with impressive debuts and

PROGRAM

collaborations. Don't miss this

Ping Chong and Company.

Works of Duparc, Faure, Poulenc

long-awaited UMS debut!

The program includes:

and Schumann.

PROGRAM

Works of Debussy, Faure, Schubert,

OCT. 13-14:

Schumann and Welsh folk-songs.

GATE THEATRE OF DUBLIN

(Beckett Mini Festival)

-

Waiting for Godot -- 8 p.m. Friday and

Saturday at Power Center

Krapp:s Last Tape —2 and 5 p.m.
Saturday, Residential College Auditorium
(East Quad)

I., &gal, (0/11.11U1
.n-t, and

Outside the 734 area code, call toll-free

800.221.1229

UMS BOX OFFICE HOURS M-F 10AM-6PM, SAT 10AM-1PM.

OCT. 21-22

AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

The King Stag — 2 p.m. (family perform-
ance) and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7
p.m. Sunday, Power Center

MARCH 10-18

"An extraordinarily fine documentary...

this moving tribute has the power
to summon us to our better selves."

-Richard Schickel, TIME MAGAZINE

INTO THE

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

(Shakespeare's History Cycle)
fling W Parts I 6- III and Richard III
Three Cycles: 11 a.M., 3 and 8 p.m.
Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 10
11; 8 p.m. Tuesday, 3 and 8 p.m.
Wednesday and 8 p.m, Thursday, March
13 - 15., and II a.m., 3 and 8 p.m.
Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17-
18, Power Center

APRIL 25-26
SEQUENTIA IN ASSOCIATION WITH PING
CHONG AND COMPANY

Curse of the Gold Myths From the Icelandic
Edda-- 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday,

ARMS OF STRANGERS

STORIES OF THE KINDERTRANSPORT

WARNER BROS. PICTURES
A TIME WARNER ENTERTMNMENTCCMFANY
ez.ve
kn

STARTS TODAY
EXCLUSIVELY!

Tickets for performances, rang-
ing from $18-$36, may be pur-
chased individually, except for
the Shakespeare cycles, which
must be purchased in a package
for all four plays, at $108-$216.
For information and tickets, call
(734) 764-2538.

II_•N Ct. MI A. IR IC ' S

APLE
ART
.

4135
MW Maple Road - ( 248) 855-9090

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MOVIE

America Online Keyword: Into the Arms of Strangers

1

Wednesday, October 25, 8

PM

Icelandic myth, conceived by Ping Chong
and Benjamin Bagby and performed by
Ensemble Sequentia in conjunction with

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

The King Stag will be performed
at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2
and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21-22,
at the Power Center in Ann
Arbor. Tickets are $18-$36, except
for the 2 p.m. Saturday family per-
formance, when tickets are $15
adults/$5 children. (734) 764-2538.

baritone

Rakefet Hak piano

Shakespeare's History Cycle, presented by
Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare
Company (England), featuring Ann
Arbor performances that will not be done

anywhere else in the United States; and
the world premiere of a new work co-
commissioned by UMS that is based on

Bryn Terfel

ose van Dam bass-baritone

Maciej Pikulski piano

www.Intothearmsofstrangers.com

Moviefone.com

oviefon0

PRIVATE BANQUET FACILITIES FOR ALL OCCASIONS
r
i t

S

Z OFF Plair2

SPECIALLY-TRIMMED RIBS

ALL DINNERS INCLUDE: SALAD OR COLE
SLAW POTATOES AND GARLIC BREAD

$2

OF F HBO FOR CHICKEN
2

WITH OR WITHOUT SKIN
I ALL DINNERS INCLUDE: SALAD OR COLE

I SLAW POTATOES AND GARLIC BREAD

GOOD 7 DAYS! e Exp. 10-26-2000 I GOOD 7 DAYS!
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■

Exp. 10-26-2000

Brass Pointe&iocwk:

- _J

24234 Orchard Lake Rd., N.E. corner of 10 Mile • 476-1377

10/13

2000

85

