8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 4, 1998 Coming next week: Daily, Sports. presents "Tip Off '98" on Thursday. Play pilgrimages to Basement Author finally tells truthful war history By Lauren Rice Daily Arts Writer Basement Arts never fails to keep theater-goers on their toes with a healthy blend of mainstage productions as well as original works from fresh writers. Recently, the group has encouraged the sub- mission of original works to fur- ther add to the diverse atmosphere that makes this a unique forum for a variety of performances and pro- ductions. 6 a Blasphemy Pilgrims Arena Theater Tomorrow at 7 p.m. A As the Basement Arts publicity co- chair Jennifer M o o r e explained, "We have always pre- sented a mix of various tal- ents, but this fall especially we are pro- moting an open forum for new group exceeds Carrie Sue Kay Sulzer entered her one-act play, which she wrote while still an undergraduate at the University of Kansoas, five years ago in a contest. Her endeavor sub- sequently earned her the Grant K. Goodman Playwriting Award, which included the opportunity to give a staged reading of her work. Not one to rest on previous laurels, Sulzer answered Basement Arts' advertisement for the recruitment of new works to be incorporated into its fall schedule. As a graduate student in the linguistics program, she and the rest of the campus have the opportunity to view her cre- ation in full with costumes and lights. "Blasphemy Pilgrims" has left behind its simpler days of a staged reading in favor of a full-fledged performance. Directed by Elizabeth Krinitt, a Music senior, and topped off with the inclusion of three talented actors from the Department of Theater and Drama, this show is clearly all about stu- dents. Gracing the stage this week will be theatre performance majors Kimberly Woodman and Jeff Steger, both seasoned veterans in the field of mainstage productions and other Basement Arts programs. New to the scene is sophomore Brendan McMahon, who brings past credentials as an esteemed actor from Eastern Michigan to Michigan. His talents have landed him in a recent Ann Arbor News list as best actor in a drama. This trio of talent unites to embark on a search of love and truth, possibly the most coveted knowledge that man has sought to discover and define since the beginning of time. We follow them as they grapple with these founda- tions of life through the duration of one night and the following morn- ing in a caf6 in Vienna. During this brief interval, two Americans attempt to transcend the bound- aries of society in this timeless search. Such a crusade for these worthy ideals would not be complete with- out a healthy dose of many Americans' favorite pastimes that make the brief moment here on Earth all the more enjoyable. Prepare yourself for a little smok- ing, drinking, gambling, fighting, profanity, seduction and a snow- man. "Blasphemy Pilgrims" will be pre- sented in the Arena Theater; which is located on the ground floor of the Frieze Building. Admission isfree, but plan to arrive early as seating is limited. Two performances will be offered Friday at 7 and 11 p.m. The. Saturday show will begin at 7 p.m. Call 764-6800 for more information. works." Once again the audience expectations in present- ing the premiere of the never- before produced, "Blasphemy Pilgrims." Michigan graduate student The Rape of Nanking Iris Chang Penguin Books If asked about the Holocaust or the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, the average person often recalls these unfor- tunate events in detail. Ask people on the street about the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Chinese during the so- called "Rape of Nanking" and Iris Chang, the author of "The Rape of Nanking," would not be surprised if they responded "Nanking who?" Chang's new book is the depiction of a historical event that occurred in the early '30s when Japanese armies invaded China. By December of 1937, the army had reached Nanking, the Chinese capi- tal, and begun a six-week long spree of killing and torturing innocent and, for the most part, unarmed civilians. The death toll is estimated at more than 300,000 people - a number that is greater than the toll from both atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Chang's own grandparents barely escaped Nanking before the killing began. As a child, Iris Chang Chang turned with little success to her Shaman Drum schoolbooks and the public library Tonight at 8 p.m. for information about the mas- sacre her parents talked about. Until recently, there has been little infor- mation about the Rape of Nanking available in American libraries and schools. In a recent interview Chang explained, "there are Chinese historians who have been documenting (these events) for decades. There is no shortage of infor- mation, (but) the records had never been published (in English) until I excerpted them in my book." Chang relied heavily on primary source material in her book, such as vic- tims' accounts of the tragedy, diaries and eyewitness accounts made by foreign reporters and workers in the city. One source Chang discovered is the diary of John Rabe. Rabe was a Nazi business- man who helped save hundreds of Chinese from torture, rape and death. John Rabe may seem an unlikely hero since he was a Nazi, but as the author remarks, "to tell John Rabe's story reveals heroism in the most unlikeiv places." "The Rape of Nanking" is not an easy read; its graphic depictions of torture repeatedly turn the stomach and try to reader's emotional state. Yet Chang- reminds us that these descriptions are vital to "understand the magnitude of the pain and suffering inflicted on the vic- tims." Despite the sensitive nature of the-- material, Iris Chang believes the right place for the "The Rape of Nanking"is in libraries and classrooms. As she said in the interview, "this is not gratuitous vio- lence put here for pleasure. This is a work of history that should serve as a caution- ary tale for future generations" 9 Although the Rape of Nanking was front page news across the globe in 1937, at the end of World War II the Japanese government was never made to own up to the unspeakable things it had done to the Chinese people in Nanking and else- where. With her book, Chang hopes to bring an end to the suffering of the Nanking victims. But the Japanese continue to deny th' occurrence of many horrors outlined 14 "The Rape of Nanking." For example, despite two years of extensive research and her undeniable historical accuracy, the Japanese ambassador to the United States denounced Ins Chang and her book as "the most outrageous world class lie" without being able to cite any evidence for his statement. The ambas- sador's claim drew immediate criticisni from the People's Republic of China; who issued letters supporting her and th position of her book. t Shocked but not thrown by reactionst6' her book, Chang continues to push for a resolution to the Nanking massacre. She hopes the Japanese government will oWni up to their past mistakes by issuing a spe- cific apology, paying reparations to the victims, calling a halt to the censoring of school textbooks, and opening its wartime archives. She would also like to see an oral history video project, simil to that which the Holocaust has receive for the victims of the rape as a memorial: Iris Chang is not about to let history stay buried, but she fears what would happen, if it did. She said she believes that "even-: tually more books will be written and these events will be rescued from obliv-:f ion. The Japanese are not uniquely capa-"- ble of these crimes. Each century is' bloodier than the one preceding it because we have the technology (to kill)" - Kelly Lut 4U t. tinuron i.J l a s an from campus) 0 769-0560 T ~- U - U - U - ~ - -- ah - Ar I r r------ - -s F I - .- --l 8pw o~eiwjber , 1993 R R U \- 401 f-l1 ucL' m -__ a IT .c Expect the best. '-, -°.' .. '. , 0, You're about to graduate and put your education to work. You know you're capable of great things. Gap Inc. knows you are, too. 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