0 David Lynch's compassionate 'The Straight Story' opens. Tonight and tomorrow night only, come see this true, tender tale of Alvin Straight, who drives from Iowa to Wisconsin on a John Deere to visit his ailing brother. Michigan Theater, 7 & 9:15 p.m. fIjeLt rt~m BNak Ibmorrawi eknd, etc: Weekend, etc. brings the local Ann Arbor music scene into the spotlight with features on several bands and musicians. Wednesday January 26, 2000 5 Chinese paintings span centuries New play goes Neshe Sarkozy ; r the Daily "The Orchid Pavilion Gathering." an exhibit featuring ancient Chinese paint- ings, is now open to the public at the Museum of Art. Covering the deep red walls of the upstairs gallery at the museum are enormous silk and rice paper paintings, many of which have never been on display in the U.S. before. These amazingly fragile pieces art from the Southern Sung Dynasty (1126-1280) to the 20th Century portray a wide Th array of artistic techniques which Pavilion are not only aes- Museum of Art ~thetically pleas- hrough March 26th ing but provide an educational component as well. Marshall P.S. Wu, head curator at the Museum of Art, said "the goal of collecting (these particular) works is for educa- tion and for visual enjoyment." Wu went on to note that students can learn and understand the present problems as well as the priceless educational value of these ancient pieces. Within *most all of these exquisite paintings are beautifully written historical or mythical calligraphy placed on some part of the painting. Wu noted that the museum staff has gone to great lengths to translate all of the ancient writings, since they hold so much of the meaning behind the art. Oddly enough, most Chinese art was not intended for the public but instead kept for the elite. The writings were in a form of cursive from the Chinese Bronze Age (1500 B.C.), which the masses could not read. The Museum of Art has translated the meanings of the names, stories recorded and historical background. "Education, being the main goal,' Wu said, "is important in bringing this exhibition to the muse- um." Interestingly enough, most of the paintings are on two types of medium, rice paper or silk. Rice paper does not have anything to do with rice but is instead made from either bamboo or tree bark. Certain dynasties preferred one or the other. This helps in dating the specific art pieces and in decipher- ing in which era they belonged. The works of art are arranged chronologi- cally along the walls from the 12th Century to the most modern painter who died in the '80's. There is so much beauty as well as wisdom and a certain calmness in these delicate paintings. Wu mentioned in regard to these pieces the Chinese painters always tried to tease the viewer, whether simplistic ally Courtesy o University Museum of Art 'Presenting lichee Fruit on a Carved ice Platter,' by Yu Chi (1738-1823) or with a more complex piece. The desired effect from viewing Chinese art is to unite oneself with nature and get the sense of tranquillity of people. Even in ancient China it was consid- ered a noble and respectable thing to leave all worldly possessions when fed up with bureaucracy and live as a her- mit. Wanderers are what one can see in many of the paintings. Some of the paintings are done in a rather abstract form, even though they are from the 15th and 16th Century. These paintings are suggestive and let the viewer enjoy the representation. Little if no color is utilized, and the characters are realistic. Wu expressed the idea that these Chinese artists' paintings were a vehicle for self expres- sion. Unlike artists in the Western hemisphere, Chinese painters never studied the human anatomy; however, balance, complexity and an inner expression was the main focus. Due to the particular uniqueness of the art, special attention has been paid to how it is exhibited. Large silk scrolls hang on the wall and are stretched over long display cases. Red hues, which symbolize prosperity and happiness and play a crucial part in the Chinese tradi- tion, cover some of the walls. A few of the paintings were even mounted on material from Japan. A nice touch to the showcase is a rather small porcelain pot with several goldfish swimming about in its decorations. "The Orchid Pavilion Gathering" cre- ates an ideal way of combining art and elements of history as well as glimpses into the complexity of Chinese culture. Going through the exhibit is as if you step into another realm, wherein knowl- edge and art intersect and that somehow it seems that it belongs together. 'After By Robyn Melamed For the Daily Basement Arts introduces< clever performance of James Sa "After Liverpool" this weekern show consists of a series of scene ed by theatre students and facult tor Phillip Kerr. This production as a workshop for Kerr's fall actin yet its fabulous end product res its ability to share the productic the Univer Ann Arbo munities. In thisr After tion, st Liverpool come togetl make son Arena Theatre great: sor Friday,11 p.m. that is fun esting, woi and oigi seems tha and time plays ar formed in tain, pred fashion. So when something as n tional as "After Liverpool" around, the audience can be stun "After Liverpool" is broken separate segments, and there is n in which these segments need to formed. This production will de relay the togetherness and impul felt by the student actors in th who were given the freedom fro originality to direct individual scenes. The 26 scenes take place around the a new, same shared space between characters unders' 'M' and 'W.' Actor and 3rd year theatre id. The major, Tony Von Halle says that "though es creat- it is a complete script, nowhere does it v direc- suggest that M' and 'W' are single char- n began acters - hence we're managed to split ng class, up the scenes amongst nine actors." ulted in Originally there were 16 actors, but a on with few had to leave the production last sity and minute. Ironically. Von Halle thinks this r com- will only add more thrill to the play. "What's exciting is watching how we, as produc- actors, find the balance of picking up tudents that unfamiliar script, and apply it to a her and scene without missing a beat...this has mething been treated as if it were a studio," he mething said. The cast includes Aaron Michael n, inter- Sherry, Von Halle, Dan Hall, Quinn thwhile Strassel, Gavin Kenny, Emily Whyte, nal. It Patti Lavery, Caroline Peacock, Jen at time Lima and .len Guerra. again, Von Halle suggests that the audience e per- watch for the natural patterns of rela- a cer- tionships during the course of the dictable scenes. These includes the ways in ontradi- which verbal communication is used, the comes peculiarities of people, and how difficult nned. it is to leave a loved one. up into "After Liverpool" is certain to leave no order the audience with a sense of compas- be per- sion, thoughtfulness and realism due to -finitely its themes, said Von Halle, such as "the siveness silly quirks we as human beings are will- e class, ing to share with a loved one, no matter m Kerr how vulnerable it makes us." Opera soprano sings at Mendelssohn By Jennifer Gates For the Daily It began in a high school and church oir in Stephens, Arkansas and start- d to soar under the care of mentor Jenni Tourel during a summer program at Aspen Music School. "Singing," said Barbara Hendricks, "was not o" . Barbara Hendricks Mendelssohn Theatre Sat. at 8 p.m. r4 something i thought about pursuing as a career until that summer - then I began to give it some thought and consider it as my life. It was a chance I took when I went to New York." A chance, that as time would prove, was an excellent one to classical musician invited to perform at Clinton's Inaugural Gala. This Saturday Hendricks brings her soprano voice, famous in the opera world, to the Mendelssohn Theatre for her first University Musical Society perfor- mance. Opera, according to Hendricks, was the type of music that was pre-destined for her. "I sang the music my voice was suited for, and it was much more suit- ed for opera. I couldn't have really sung like Aretha Franklin - I would if I could - but it was not really a choice." A worldwide performer, Hendricks travels not only where her voice leads her, but also where her heart leads her. Hendricks has served as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) since 1987. Her deep passion for human rights has driven her to visit refugee camps in Cambodia, Malaysia, Tanzania, Thailand and Zambia. "Humanitarian work is based on the belief that you need all be active to pro- mote human rights in our own commu- nities, families, work," Hendricks said. "In order for us to live in harmony, we must learn to respect the rights of each other." Her most unforgettable experience was during a visit to Sarajevo in early 1993. It included a brave concert Hendricks performed in a helmet while the city was being shelled. The act was done for the benefit of Sarajevo's people - so that they might have "a small flame of hope that they have not been totally forgotten." "The Sarajevo conflict was brought home to us through communications, the media - but to witness that kind of bar- barism so close, the fact that we allow it to go on - these arc events that most touched and marked me," she continued. "Being in Rwanda after the genocide, (I went to talk about forgiveness), hearing their own stories. was very humbling for me." Hendricks' current efforts are being directed towards Bosnia for an open city project to "help cities with their prob- lems of unemployment and infrastruc- ture. Reconciliation is very slow and very, very tough work, once the fighting has gone and these people have wit- nessed some of the worst things that can be seen. It's not impossible, but it's very. very difficult because of money and human life to try and put lives back together" Understandably. Hendricks prefers performing in old, traditional concert halls as opposed to outside concerts amid raining bullets. "The most impor- tant thing about place is acoustics." she said. "Better acoustics means better freedom - there is a much larger range of dynamics, you can sing some- thing softly. I like the atmospheres of old theaters, I like to know if there have been people that have conie before me. I like to know of their ener- gy and spirit so it becomes a part of my performance." Hendricks, one of the best-selling classical music artists in the world, chose to perform in Ann Arbor for rea- sons besides the theater's atmosphere. "When I was asked, I agreed because the University of Michigan has a very strong musical tradition - its music school is known to be very good. I was very happy to come because of the very strong reputation and tradition of music. And I always love the atmos- phere on college campuses. I like stu- dents' openness and curiosity, I enjoy the learning atmosphere." This openness and curiosity is the only requirement Hendricks asks of her audience "to come equipped with" when they attend her concert. Her choice of Brahms, Wolf, Faure and Richard Strauss for her UMS debut is intended to provide a journey for the audience not unlike Hendricks' own take. After receiving her Bachelor of Music from New York's Julliard thool of Music, Hendricks debuted in 1974 with the San Francisco Opera. She has since performed more than 20 operatic roles for various companies and festivals, was recently seen in a broadcast of Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress" on PBS and was the only Courtesy of UMS Soprano Barbara Hendricks will be accompanied by pianist Staffan Sheja. career. The concert will "take the lis- lecture with Naomi Andre. professor tener on a journey - not intentionally of music history and musicology, a storyline - but through a program Saturday at 7 p.m. in the League's with a variety of motion and color. Koessler Library. constantly moving through the whole Tickets are $40 and $25 and can be range of emotions that the listener can purchased biy calling UMS at 764-2538. hear throughout the performance." Rush tickets for $10 are available There will be a free pre-performance Fridav at the Union . Ticket Qffice. MISSED THE MASS MEETINGS? ALREADY BORED WImHCLASSES? COME REVIEW FILMS, BOOKS OR CONCERTS FOR DAILYARTS. 9CALL 763"0379 FOR DETALS. L ('W~[¢ OUnt atlon refOtf± f a united methodist reconciinflampus ministry welcoming students since 1887 Join us for - * 5 O'Clock Sunday Celebration Service (student worship) and Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Holy Communion e Real Talk student-led dorm discussion groups on hot topics, plus weekly Bible studies s Friday Night Fun; 7:00 p.m. for the lively action * Alternative Spring Break Mission Triplocal service projects, and social action activities that make a difference * Retreats and personal growth opportunities * Intramural teams, women, men and co-ed w 32wi.Tta Sp'ng R rak Kfackage Includes *FREE Welcome Party *FREE Spring Break Party Pack * RT Air Transportation * 7 Night Hotel Accommodations * RT Transfers to and from Hotel *Over 30 Hours of Open Bar *14 Free Meals U SE Ur ic V U re r$50 GFF Iri~vf x-TI> C.-ANGUN--, 1-800-446-8355 www.su nbreaks.Com e-mail: web: phone: bobwesly@umich.edu http://www.umich.edu/-wesleyl 734/668-6881 located at the coner of State and Huron; north wing of First United Methodist Church University Activities Center