Great partner/ships
begin over lunch.

Introducing
DaDa Boy

your time is pining It's Just

arrangements and all you

Performance piece re-creates the spirit of Dadaism.

do is show up for lunch

or a drink after work.

Area artists were asked to create Dada
sculptures
and paintings for the lobby.
Special to the Jewish News
The show also includes a computer
programmed to use patron interaction
effrey Steiger's day job is help-
to generate random poems.
ing teachers learn to use the-
Steiger, who wants his audiences to
atrics to enhance the class-
experience and understand the art form
room experience. Now he's
simultaneously, studied mime while
pulling out all the stops in a multime-
growing up in California.
dia theater piece that teaches audiences
He became interested in
about Dadaism.
music as a teen and
Steiger wrote, produced, directed and
moved to Boston
will perform in DaDa Boy Paints
in search of per-
on Canvas, the second
formance opportu-
show in this season's
nities. When the
TreeTown
music did not
Performance Festival
work for him, he
in Ann Arbor. The
decided to relocate
festival, in its
to Ann Arbor.
fourth year
Since settling in
under the spon-
Michigan 12 years ago,
sorship of the
Steiger has taken theater class-
Performance
es and written for the stage. A
Network, runs through-
U-M administrator saw one
out the summer to
showcase up-and-com-
Jeffley Steiger: of his productions and invited
him to teach. That led to his
ing stage talent.
Multimedia
directing a student troupe, liv-
DaDa Boy, to be presented
presenter.
ing in university housing and
June 6-16, spotlights spoken
receiving a grant that allowed
words, songs, music, dance,
him to work at CRLT.
technology and magic tricks to capture
His full-time responsibilities involve
Dadaism, an artistic movement popular
planning programs for faculty and
between 1916 and 1923.
graduate student instructors interested
Dada enthusiasts met with great con-
in bringing theater to their classrooms
troversy as they tried to abolish tradi-
or engaging in dialogue about teaching
tional culture and aesthetic forms.
and learning.
"This is an original theater piece,"
".DaDa Boy expresses my frustration
says Steiger, 33, director of the Center
with the state of theater, and I use this
for Research on Learning and Teaching
production to cut through its empty
(CRLT) at the University of Michigan.
ritual," says Steiger, who was raised in a
"I was familiar with Dadaism as an
Jewish home but separates himself from
idea but not the nuances or the histori-
cal movement. I began looking up what traditional observance.
"Dadaism developed a reputation for
it was all about, and it really sparked
being shock art, but it was really deeper
my imagination. I found the mani-
than that. Dadaism is about redefini-
festos, writing and poetry and consid-
tion." ❑
ered it all a wonderful combination of
joking, showmanship and art."
DaDa Boy Paints on Canvas will
With a live band and two. dancers,
be staged 8 p.m. Thursday-
Steiger creates multi-media presenta-
Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday,
tions that use both original writing and
June 6-16, at the Performance
writing from the Dadaists.
Network, 120 East Huron, Ann
He has created a series of vignettes,
Arbor. $18/$15 students and sen-
such as one that starts with a song
iors; "pay-what-you-can"
about a bumblebee, moves into nar-
Thursday. (734) 663-0681.
rated slides and then silhouettes per-
formers.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

IT

It's Just Lunch Directors:
Angela Johnson, Nancy
Ansara, Heather Hill
and Pamela Lanier

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