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The Michigdn Daily-Thursday, January 25, 1979-Page 5
New Loft stresses art and soul
By KAROLYN WALLACE
In the thriving cultural community of
Ann Arbor, the arts flourish. Of its
many artistic organizations and in-
stitutions, though, the new Canterbury
Loft stands out, chiefly due to what its
organizers see as its guiding purpose.
"The focus here is not on entertainment
itself, but on entertainment as a means
of social change," explains Andrew
Foster, chaplain at the loft, which also
K serves as the campus Episcopal
ministry. The loft has been open since
. September of this year.
Canterbury Loft sponsors and sup-
ports various artistic events that have
in common, spokespersons say, some
sort of ethical or spiritual theme. The
staff's commitment to this idea, they
hope, brings people to focus on the
various elements of their lives and to
arrange their priorities. The loft's of-
ferings include plays, dramatic
readings, musical performances of all
kinds, art exhibitions, poetry readings,
dance performances, film showings,
and special programs for ,artists, as
well as opportunities for new people to
become involved in the numerous
modes of expression.
Located at 332 South State Street,
Canterbury Loft possesses just the
warmth and intimacy suggested by its
name. The atmosphere is cozy, and yet
very open, with plenty of versatile
space. There , is a small lobby' with
couches and chairs, numerous plants,
and a big skylight which add character
to the room. The walls display the ar-
twork of Bob Bennett, also the designer
of the Canterbury Loft's new publicity
posters, ,soon to be seen around cam-
pus.
The lobby leads into the performing
area which can be arranged according
to the type of performance. Designed
by Sarah Campbell, one of the walls of
the room is covered with a montage of
different colored pillows which serve
both as artwork and as cushions for the
audience members.
Canterbury Loft is the Episcopal
campus ministry for the University of
Michigan. Though the loft is recognized
by MSA, it receives no University fun-
ds. A sign appears at the main entrance
which reads: "Events at Canterbury
Loft are presented for people in the
University of Michigan community. So
that financial considerations will not
prevent people from attending events
at the Loft, admission prices are kept
low." Most performers receive 75 per
cent of the proceeds, and the remaining
25 per cent goes toward overhead.
Andrew Foster and John Ellis,
producer for Canterbury Loft, express
hopes that eventually the Loft will be
used by the community as a place to
drop by as well as a gathering place for
artists.
Performances thus far have been
well received. Foster says, "Succcess
does not lie in huge audiences or in
elaborate productions, but is measured
in the intensity of performance. Inten-
sity breaks down the distance between
performer and observer." He. em-
phasizes, "The closeness created here
is really something different."
Producer John Ellis encourages
people to .come and explore the
possibility of performing at the Loft.
"There are no religious constraints on
what we do. We're looking for
provocative ways to raise issues."
Why does the combination of theater
and religion work for Canterbury Loft?
"For me," says Andrew Foster,
"(theater) has always been a powerful
avenue of discovery. Theater and
religion are born of the same stream."
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B
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,
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Poet ryRead ing
with
Genghies, Ron Taylor, Jim Grondin
Reading from their works
Thurs. Jan. 25-7:30
at GUILD HOUSE
Admission FREE
802 Monroe
Betty Carter (at right)
shows some of the
emotion she handed out
generously to two full-
house audiences at the
Earle Tuesday evening.
The Detroit-born
Carter sang a pair of
well mixed sets,
exhibiting marvelously
the best possible
musical instrument: the
human voice. Carter
handled racing be-bop
tunes, scat songs, and
- Best and most abun-
dantly of all - slow
ballads.
the Collaborative
winter
art & Craft
clas ses
Classes and workshops including:
JEWELRY & PRINTMAKING
REGISTER NOW-CLASSES BEGIN JAN. 29
U-M Artists & Craftsmen Guild
763-4430
2nd Floor, Michigan Union
.' , ',f y.
t
Composer Owens here tonight
Robert Owens - composer, coach,
pianist, and actor now residing in West
Germany - will ac'ompany faculty
and students of the University School of
Music in a program of his songs Thur-
sday night at 8 p.m. in the school's
Recital Hall on North Campus.
Willis Patterson, Leonard Johnson,
Jacqueline Paige-Green, Uzee Brown
and Kathleen Segar will sing Seven Sets
of Songs to texts by Langston Hughs,
Emily Dickinson, Claude Mckay and
Lord Byron. The songs to texts by
Hughs came about because of a per-
sonal acquaintanceship of the com-
poser with Mr. Hughs. He gave the set
of poems "Fields of Wonder" to Mr.
Owens and asked him to set $hem to
music. The collection of poems has
resulted in over fifty songs to date.
A NATIVE of Berkley, California,
Robert Owens has resided in Munich
for the past twelve years. At that age,
while still a student at Berkley High
School, Owens performed as soloist in
his first concerto for piano and or-
chestra with the Berkeley Young
People's Symphony. Scholarships
enabled him to continue his piano
studies under Alexander Raab in Vien-
na, Austria. After a stint in the U.S. Air
Force during World War II, Owens
studied with Alfred Cortot at the Paris
Ecole Normale de Musique. After a
debut as concert pianist in Copenhagen,
he became a student of Grete Hin-
terhofer at the Vienna Academy of
Music, performing concerts in Den-
mark and Austria.
His opera Kultur! Kultur! was first
produced in Ulm in 1970, and he has
completed the piano score of a second,
"Die Brille". During the past two
years, in addition to acting, and com-
posing, he has directed The Fantastiks,
Ionesco's The Lesson, and James
Saunders The Neighbors.
Owens wrote music to an early
"Singspiel" from Goethe. He directed
this play and acted in it as well. Owens
had the distinction of being the first
black actor to act and sing Goethe, in
German.
Mr. Owens will appear on the campus
of the University of Wisconsin at gFiver-
falls to do a series of lectures on his
music, Langston Hughs, and aspects of
his career in Germany as an ac-
tor/musician. During Mr. Owens visit
to Ann Arbor, he will be a guest lecturer_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
in several classes, and will meet with
individual students. The concert is part
of a series of music by black com-
posers, theEva Jessye Afro-American
Music Series. There is no charge for the
performance.
BIG GE
TAPE
C
IRGE'S
ALSOCSALE
SONY CASSETTES
Owens
Mediatrics presents
MY FAIR LADY
(George Cukor) The internationally known beauty AUDREY HEPBURN plays an uncouth flower
girl, Eliza Doolittle, who is tutored into gentility by Professor Henry Higgins played by REX HAR-
RISON. Winner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture of the year. Adaptation of the
George Bernard Shaw play, PYGMALLION.
Thurs., Jan. 25 Assembly Hall, Mich Union 6:45, 9:30
The New Erotic Film Festival
From avant garde to outright raunchy, including the scene that made DEEP THROAT the famous
film it is today, from animation to 'porn' from the past. THE NEW EROTIC FILM FESTIVAL is a
masterpiece of x-rated fun.
C-90 . .. .. ....
C-120 . ... ....
$1.44 each
$1.98 each
$2.79 each
A LL SCOTCH
RECORDING TAPE
50% OFF
MEMOREX
90-MINUTE
8-TRACKS
Regularly
$5:98.
NOW
BASF 2-HOUR
PERFORMANCE SERIES
CASSETTES
120 ,..
Regularly $3.60
NOW$288
.'
MEMOREN'
.. 60-MtNUTE
we x .5 -TRACKS
Regularly
$4.98
NOW'
U $288:
L, i
MEMOREX
90-MINUTE
CASSETTES
NOW
ONLY
$5
$388
Fri., Jan. 26
Nat. Sci. Aud.
7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30
SALE PRICES GOOD THROUGH JAN. 31st
-and-
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