FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS March 1997

THE PATIENCE OF JOB

On Tuesday, March 18, Footlights concludes its series on anger & provocation with J.B., winner of the 1958 Tony Award & the 1959 Pulitzer Prize, by American poet Archibald MacLeish. MacLeish described his play as constructed inside the Book of Job much as the Bedouins used to build within the towering ruins of Palmyra their shacks of gasoline tins roofed with fallen stones. J.B., wrote Brooks Atkinson, portrays in vibrant verse the spiritual dilemma of the twentieth century. We will meet at Luna Books, 1633 P St., NW (the third floor of Caf� Luna, three blocks east of DuPont Circle) (202-332-2543). Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. & our discussion around 7:30. Mark Gruenberg will lead our discussion. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY by calling Susan Kimmel (301-229-3037, eve & 202-418-1679, day), Elizabeth Dixon (202-223-1763), or Mary-Margaret McGrail (703-751-8126). In northwest DC ask for your special Footlights member discount for J.B. at Chapters, 1512 K St.; Olsson's, 1307 19th St.; & Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. Also, discount bookstore Super Crown, 11 DuPont Circle & 5110 Nicholson Lane (White Flint Shopping Center) has copies of the play.

ANOTHER SHOT AT BUFFALO -ON BUFFALO COURT!

In February we discussed David Mamet's groundbreaking American Buffalo (1976). Thanks to Karin Elliot for her informative introduction! WE HAVE ARRANGED FOR A VIEWING-on a 6-foot TV screen-of last summer's film of American Buffalo, starring Dustin Hoffman. Our viewing will take place as part of a POTLUCK SUPPER, starting at 5 p.m., on Sunday March 23, at 3508 Buffalo Court, Dale City, VA. Seating is limited to the first 15 people to make reservations BY TELEPHONE. Call David Sobelsohn at 202-484-8303.

OUR SPRING FANCY: FRIENDSHIP

In spring our fancy turns to friendship. On Wednesday, April 16, we discuss Terrence McNally's Tony award-winning Love! Valour! Compassion! (1994), about a network of gay friends on holiday in upstate New York. We will attend Love! at the Studio Theatre May 24. On Thursday, May 15 (The Ides of May), we discuss Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize winning The Heidi Chronicles (1988), about the growth of a woman & her friendships from the '60s to the '90s. We are arranging tickets for Wasserstein's lecture at the Folger Library on May 14. Watch this space for details about our meetings Monday, June 16 & Tuesday, July 15, & our trip to the theater Sunday, June 29!

DEBBIE DOES ACTOUT '97

The Actors' Theatre of Washington nurtures new playwrights with its Developing Playwrights Program. This spring the Program features ACTOUT '97, a series of staged readings of new works by local playwrights-including Footlights' own Debbie Jackson! Debbie's readings will take place 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday, March 21 & 22, at Unity Church, 412 Seward Sq. (5th & Pennsylvania), SE, in DC. Other readings take place from March 14-April 8 at various times & places. Admission is free & open to the public. For further information, call 202-319- 1919.

WRITE YOUR OWN: THE THEATRE LAB

Follow in Debbie's footsteps! Each Wednesday June 18-July 23 at 7-9 p.m., the Theatre Lab will offer a course in Beginning Playwrighting. Tuition is $160 & the registration deadline is June 6. For further information call Theatre Lab at 202-588-8113 or send e-mail to [email protected].

IRELAND, O'NEILL, & ELECTRA

Starting April 1, the Smithsonian Institution will present Modern Irish Theater: A Tradition of Passion, including six lectures & two trips to the theater. On May 8, the class will attend Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra at the Shakespeare Theatre. For series tickets & further information call the Smithsonian at 202-357-3030. Jerry Stilkind is organizing a Footlights trip to attend Mourning Becomes Electra at the Shakespeare Theatre Saturday June 7. For further information call Jerry at 202-265-1108, eve & 202-619-4157, day or e-mail him at [email protected].

FOOTLIGHTS ON THE WEB

Visit our new site on the World Wide Web at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jim_kay/footlite.htm. Thanks to Jim Kay for creating our web site & to Laurie Cullen for keeping it current!