ARTS " ,- ". The Michigan Daily Friday, January 9, 1987 Page 7 'U' prof directs British cast inR2' By Noelle Brower A bit of merry olde England will artive in Ann Arbor this weekend via the National Theatre of Great Britain. As a part of the National Theatre's Education Program, John Fussell Brown, an Associate Director of the National Theatre and Charman of the Department of Theatre and Drama at this University, will direct a touring production of Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Richard the Second This weekend's production will be the American premiere of what promises to become a tradition of cultural exchange between the two countries. In a country overflowing with long-standing traditions, the Na - tional Theatre is a relatively new one; but one that has solidified its place as an institution of con - siderable acclaim since its inception in the '70s. It has become a forum for a high-powered meeting of the best theatrical minds from Britain and elsewhere. Since the beginning, the National Theatre has won a reputation for theatrical excellence both in the modern and the classical veins. It is a bona fide theatrical treat that Brown's affiliation with the Theatre has brought about this opportunity. The current production is the outcome of an educational program started by the N.T. in '82. Designed to both educate and entertain its audiences, the program organizes tours of small-scale productions. The term "small-scale," though adequate, is misleading. When one thinks of Shakespearean produc - tions, words like grandeur, pomp, and ceremony pop up as apt descriptives. However, in order to tour these productions, which have included non-Shakespearean plays as well, are pared down both textually and visually. "We wanted to have a sufficient size [text] so that it is graspable by people who may be seeing their first Shakespeare," Brown explains, "It is an educational production, but all it means is that the scale is smaller - it is a full production of a version of a play that will run for two hours, scaled down for necessity and clarity." An important part of the educational process is the discus - sion afterwards between the audience and the players in which everyone is encouraged to parti - cipate. From start to finish, traditional barriers between the company and the audience are broken down with both parties profiting in the process. Richard II is the first in Shakespeare's great four-play saga that continues with the two parts of Henry IV and concludes with Henry V , completing Shake - speare's cycle of the War of the Roses. By emphasizing the personal aspects of the play, Brown's production centers upon the conflicts encountered by Richard, who ascended to the throne in the shadow of his popular father and grandfather when only ten years of age. The play takes place during the last year of his reign (1399) when, surrounded by power-hungry relatives and controversy, Richard is eventually overthrown by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. The characters of Richard and Boling - broke emerge as differing portraits in statesmanship: Richard as the well-intentioned young man, inev -. itably doomed by his circum - stances, and Bolingbroke as the dynamic usurper who possesses a greater ability to rule than than the anointed king. Richard II will be performed this Saturday, and the following Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League. Additional performances will be next week on Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Trueblood Theatre. For more information call 764-0450. $259 ROUND TRIP Charter Flight FT. LAUDERDALE Feb.20 thru 27 KEY TOURS For details contact: 1329 S. University 769..QRSa 2763Plymouth R d. TWO ANN ARBOR LOCATIONS Director and faculty member John Russell Brown (center) poses with the cast of Richard II. From left to right: Nigel Le Valiant, Peter Needham, Clive Arrindell, Peter Sproule, Jessica Turner, Mark Payton, and Nick Dunning. 'Records John Cephas and Phil Wiggins Dog Days of August Flying Fish "Bowling Green" John Cephas and "Harmonica" Phil Wiggins are pair of veteran acoustic bluesmen who make it clear from the start how they've managed to survive on the circuit for over a decade. They don't do anything fancy, in fact a lot of it is straight out of the text book, but they coat everything with enough road-dust to make it lpyitimate. - Cephas has a rich, expressive voice that breathes new life into Opch standards as "I Saw the Light" and "Staggerlee." 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