FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS December 2000

Survival on the Edge

On Wednesday, December 20, winter's edge finds our current theme, "Survival of the Fittest," on top of the world's second tallest mountain in Patrick Meyers's monumental "K2" (1982). Best friends Harold and Taylor cling to an icy ledge, staying alert by sharing stories of their lives. "Stunning" (Christian Science Monitor), "inspiring" (New York Times), "daring and suspenseful" (Newsweek), "K2" "scales the heights of greatness" (New York Post).

Our meeting will feature director Wendy Goldberg. Goldberg graduated with honors from the University of Michigan and received her MFA in directing from UCLA, where her credits included "King Lear" and "The Adding Machine." At Theater J last March she directed the world premiere of "Life in Refusal." Goldberg currently serves as artistic associate at Arena Stage, where her production of "K2" opens December 8.

We will meet at Luna Books, 1633 P St., NW (3d floor) (202-332-2543), 3 blocks E of Dupont Circle. Dinner begins at 6:30; our discussion takes place 7:30-9:30. Make reservations by contacting Mark Gruenberg (202-638-0444 & [email protected]). "K2" looms at Backstage Books, 545 8th St., SE, & for a special Footlights discount at Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW; & Olsson's Books & Records, 1307 19th St., NW & 7647 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda.

Arena Ascent

On Tuesday, January 2, at 7:30 p.m., Footlights will climb "K2" at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St., SW, 2 blocks from Waterfront metro. Tickets are $28 (orchestra) and $24.50 (balcony) & include a post-performance cast discussion. We must receive payment by December 18, also the refund deadline. Mail your check today to Robin Larkin, 5403 Nibud Ct., Rockville, MD 20852 ([email protected]). Robin will distribute tickets in the lobby just before the performance (she'll be wearing a Footlights badge).

Herd Instinct

Does evolution always bring progress? On Tuesday, January 16, we will discuss "Rhinoceros" (1960), the classic play about mindless conformity by Eugene Ionesco, "perhaps the most influential avant-garde dramatist of the 20th century" (Time Magazine). "Strange" and "disturbing" (New York Post) yet "playful" and "irreverent" (New York Times), the play's "delightful" scenes (The New Republic) build to "a touching climax" (Newsweek). Our meeting will feature director Genevieve Brunet Smith, a personal friend of the playwright; and Georgetown University professor Aurelia Roman, who is gathering materials for a book on Ionesco. We will meet in January at a new location, Cafe Midi Cuisine, 1635 Connecticut Ave., NW, just N of Dupont Circle. Make reservations after December 20, by calling 202-638-0444 or e-mailing [email protected].

Calendar

Wednesday, December 20, 6:30 p.m.: "K2," Luna Books
Tuesday, January 2, 7:30 p.m.: "K2," Arena Stage
Tuesday, January 16, 6:30 p.m.: "Rhinoceros," Cafe Midi
Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m.: "Taking Sides," Delray Viet