10- The Michigan DaibSunmmer Weeldy-Wednesday, June16,1993
WHOWHATWHEREWHEN

Parallel Lines
Yes, it's time once again for the
Ann Arbor Sumner Festival. And if
you make one cultural excursion over
the next week, make it the Summer
Festival's "Get Parallel," a combina-
tion dance/theater extravaganza.
"Get Parallel" is put together by
Peter Sparling, chair of the University
Dance Department, and Whitley
Setrakian, the artistic director of the
dance company known as "People
Dancing." Sparling will be presenting
four works of dance and Setrakian,
three.
Just to give you an idea of what
"Get Parallel" aspires to be, some of
the numbers will combine characters
from Shakespeare with expressive
moderndance in order to create a new
interpretative strategy.
The music will vary from Chopin
to Philip Glass-style works by Todd
Levin, to percussion and guitar music.
Theideabehind"GetParallel"isto
offer two very different and intriguing
artists' works, and from the clash in
styleandcontent,seeifsomethingnew
just might arise. Be there to see if it
happens.
"Get Parallel"willbe performed at
the Power Center on Tuesday, June 22
at8 p.m. Tickets are $13 and $11.Call
764-2538.
Take a leap to the Frog
Island Festival
You haven't spent a summer in
Ann Arbor until you've made tracks
for Ypsi's celebratory FrogtIsland Fes-
tival. Held this weekend under a very

big tent by the river, in the heart of
Ypsi'sDepot Town, the festivalprom-
ises a pastiche of full-blooded music,
from zydecoandcajun bands togospel
choirs to blues singers toBrazilian and
Caribbean reggae, ska and calypso
beats.
Of course, all this music doesn't
come cheap. But the $13 ticket price
covers a whole day of excitement and
three-daypassesare abargainat$27.50.
But these are all advance ticket prices.
Ifyougoon awhim, be prepared to pay
$16 at the door.
If you slot Friday night for your
joumey into the heart of Ypsi, you'll
experience the memorable bayou
sounds of New Orleans (that's
"N'Awlins")night.Amongotheracts,
John Mooney and Bluesiana will offer
Delta Blues and John Delafose and the
Eunice Playboys will mark their Mid-
western debut, playing their brand of
Louisiana zydeco. The fun begins at 5
p.m., so get there early.
On Saturday, it's all about jazz,
beginning atnoon and going all through
the afternoon. The Lyman Woodard
Trio and the Steve Lacy Sextet will
play under hopefully clear June skies.
Atseven,gearsswitchtoblues with the
likesofpianistMr.B,the vocalstylings
of the great Thornetta Davis and the
music of James Brown protege Maceo
Parker.
OnSunday,it'satantalizingmixof
genres,beginning withgospelemanat-
ing from a Detroit choir and carrying
through an array ofCaribbeanandpan-
American music, dancing and ther
smooth sounds of the Kinsey Report'st
modern blues/reggae.
So if you make one trip to Ypsi this
summer, aside from doughnut runs,1

Peter Sparing and Whitley Setrakian get parallel together.

Visions'
enlightens
By MEGAN ABBOTT
Historically, most movie fans con-
sider the lead actors the stars of a film.
In the '60s and '70s, however, it be-
Visions of Light: The
Art of Cinematography
Presented by the American Film
Institute.
came fashionable to foreground the
director as star. Self-styled film buffs
began to go to movies based on who
was directing. Auteurs like Martin
Scorsese or Stanley Kubrick started
bringing in audiences on the strength
of their names. But one instrumental
part of film arthas still been left on the
cutting room floor of popular movie
consciousness: the cinematographer.
Anew documentary putout by the
American Film Institute hopes to cor-
rect that by shedding much needed
lightonthehazily-perceivedroleofthe
cinematographer in movie-making.
"Visions of Light: The Art of Cinema-
tography" offers clips from 125 films
in order to explore the craft and the
resultsarenothing short of sumptuous.
Many of the cinematographers in-
terviewed expressed feeling slighted
by the attention the director received
for the "look" of the film. After all,
their position enables the achievement
of a particular mood, quality, atmo-
sphere-an achievementeasily taken
for granted by the audience who tends
to credit the director.
But, "Visions of Light"asks, what
would "The Godfather" or "Manhat-
tan" bewithout the estimabletalentsof
Gordon Willis? He made Francis
Coppola's dream of the Corleone's
majestic,rich-hued grandeurburstinto
reality.AnditwasWilliswhocaptured
Woody Allen's city as a melancholy
romantic soul. The cinematographer,
"Visions of Light" argues, is artist.
Between the string of glorious film
clips, "Visions of Light" presents in-
terviews with the best in the business,
includingJamesWongHowe("Hud"),
MichaelChapman("Raging Bull")and
Ernest Dickerson ("Do the Right
Thing"). Through these interviews, a
varietyofdirector-cinematographerre-
lationships come to life. Sometimes,
cinematographersconsiderthemselves
a tool of the director rather than a co-
visionary. Other times, a symbiotic
partnership arises. These interviews
prove very telling.
But,ofcourse,"VisionsofLight"'s
exploration into the place of the cin-
ematographeris atits best when it puts
forth its dazzling images, with clips
ranging from early Expressionism to
"BladeRunner."Theyaretrulybreath-
taking in their sheer expressive power
and should not be missed.
VISIONSOF LIGHT starts at the
Michigan Theater Friday.

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make it to the Frog Island Festival. If
may cost a little, but it beats paying $7
to see "Cliffhanger."
Call 763-TKTS for tickets or 487-
2229 for the 24-hour information
hotline.
Watch this
We're leaving-for afew weeks,but
the Ann Arbor film scene continues.

Ofthe cropofnew films settohit town,
oneofthemostquietly-toutedis"Watch
It." The debut film by director Tom
Flynn,"Watchlt"starsPeterGallagher
(the scum bag in both "The Player"and
"sex, lies and videotape") and a group
of ensemble actors. The film is being
heralded as a funny exploration into,
andanattackon,malebondingandthe
refusalof the '90smale to grow up. At
the Michigan Theater starting June 25.
Call 668-8397.

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