ARTS
Summer, 1986
The Michigan Daily
Page. 17
Entertainment: Seeking it out
departmental head, in the fall of 1985
replacing Walter Essylinck.
It would be an understatement to
say that Brown was taking on a dif-
ficult task; since then, he has directed
the department in what seems to be a
mass regrouping - a getting back to
square one. He first established
Project Theatre, a forum designed to
bring professional actors and
technicians to Ann Arbor.
One unfortunate event last year was
the curtailment of the M.F.A.
program. One happy note for un-
dergraduates thinking about a degree
in Theatre, however, is the arrival of that you see some of their diverse of-
Benedict Nightengale, a name some ferings; it's always interesting, and
might be familiar with. Nightengale often inspiring to see what your peers
has been a theatre critic for the New are up to.
York Times and has an impressive
background in theatre criticism. Another theatre group to whose
Another University-related group, home is East Quad, is The Brecht
the Residential College Players, Company. When it comes to perfor-
which hail from East Quad, offers ming Brecht, this company of trained
students the opportunity to produce actors have dominated the rest of the
their own plays and direct unusual theatrical community.
pieces. One of the benefits of the R.C.
Players is that they get little or no in- Outside the University, Ann Arbor
terference from teachers; students offers a diverse range of possibilities
run the show themselves. Make sure that should satisfy any theatre-goer's
tastes. The mainstay for local theatre
is the Ann Arbor Theatre. This wide-
ranging group offers standard fare to
serve the most general interests of the
community. Their most recent show
was Thorton Wilder's The Skin of Our
Teeth. The other alternative
theatrical group outside of the
University community is the Perfor-
mance Network downtown. Though it
is a bit off the beaten path, it is usually
worth the extra effort of find. The
Network sponsors diverse shows and
often dares to try difficult ones,
sometimes at the expense of their own
x quality. But, nonetheless, when they
hit the mark they are fantastic. And
any organization willing to take risks
deserves credit.
The Murray Louis Dance Company
visited A last year.
(ContinuedfromPage1)
it has treated the town to such artists
as Richard Thompson, Archie Shepp,
Uncle Bonsai, and has hosted a "cof-
fee house" where local musicians
may perform.
As for the bar scene (without live
music), the campus faves would have
to be Dooley's (on Maynard Street),
Goodtime Charley's (on S. Univer-
sity), and the U-Club (located in the,
Michigan Union), which also features
an occasional live'band and is always
a good dance floor. For a listing of any
club activity, the Ann Arbor Observer
is a reliable source and can be found
at most newstands. And, of course,
there's always the Daily Arts section.
0
N
Brower and Fertig are Editors of
the Arts Page.
Getting some pizza at Uno's is a favorite
pastime of students.
Campus Cinema
Ann Arbor offers more than the Laundrette; and also the Briarwood
usual current-run fare with its alter- Theatres, located in Briarwood Mall
native campus cinema groups. - a short bus ride away. Ann Arbor
Though there are several groups in has a thriving film community. Be a
town, the list is almost always headed part of it!
by the troika of Cinema Two, Cinema Theatre
Guild, and the Ann Arbor Film Co-oo. Ann Arbor is surely one of the best
All three work year round to bring spots for regional theatre in the coun-
Ann Arbor the best in celluoid enter- try. Like most other aspects of this
tainment. Whether you crave a good community, the University and the
old American classic such as The surrounding city of Ann Arbor are
Desk Set with Hepburn and Tracy, or pretty much interdependent. This is
classics of the French New-wave, especially true of Ann Arbor theatre.
you'll often find these groups showing In the last few years, the Univer-
slightly off-the-beaten-path films in sity's Department of Theatre has
Angell Hall or the Modern Language come under fire for its less-than per-
Building. If you are a film buff your- fect shows and the continuous inner
self, and would like to have a say in turmoil among its members. This is
hat films are brought to Ann Arbor, changing however, thanks to the
most cinema groups will take ap- department's new head, John Russel
plications in the fall months. Look for Brown.
announcements. Brown, an import from the National
Theatre of London where he is an
associate director, originally came to
For first-run films, Ann Arbor Of- Ann Arbor in the fall of '84 to deliver a
fers the State Theatre (on State lecture in the celebrated lecture
Street), The Ann Arbor Theatrer (on series. "Beckett at 80." The Dean of
Fifth Street) which offers the best in the School of Music, which encom-
current foreign cinema, most recently' passes theatre and drama, persuaded
U o:sith a View -sndMy -eautiful Brown to take over the position of
UB40 played Hill Auditorium last year to rave reviews.