FROM THE FOOTLIGHTS - May 2000

"Death" and Memory

On Monday, May 15, Footlights continues our Time and Memory series with "an international sensation" (Washington Post): "Death and the Maiden"   (1991), by Chilean expatriate Ariel Dorfman. In a country that has just restored democracy, a woman--blindfolded & tortured under the previous regime--kidnaps & interrogates a stranger who sounds like the man who tortured her. "Brilliant" & "terrifying," combining "clear thought and fierce compassion" (Sunday Times (London)), "Death and the Maiden" is "riveting drama that asks profound questions" (Chicago Tribune) while remaining "movingly personal" (New York Times). Dorfman recently published a memoir, "Heading South, Looking North: A Bilingual Journey"  (1998).

Our meeting will feature Professor Saul Sosnowski, who directs the Latin American Studies Center at the University of Maryland at College Park.  Professor Sosnowski was born in Argentina & earned his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. He is currently preparing his next book, "The Politics of Memory and Oblivion."

We will meet at Delray Vietnamese Garden, 4918 Del Ray Ave., a few blocks N of Bethesda metro. Take both up escalators, turn left onto Old Georgetown Rd., walk up to Del Ray Ave. & turn right. The neighborhood has several cheap garages & parking lots. Dinner begins at 6:30; our discussion takes place from 7:30-9:30. Make reservations by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 202-638-0444. "Death" awaits at Backstage Books, 545 8th St., SE (202-544-5744), & for a special Footlights discount at Olsson's Books & Records, 1307 19th St., NW (202-785-1133) & Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW (202-364-1919).

Steppin' Out

Footlights has arranged a video viewing of the 1995 film "Death and the Maiden," starring Sigourney Weaver & Ben Kingsley. Join us at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 3, at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd. (US-50), corner George Mason Dr. Admission is $2 & includes refreshments. For reservations & directions, call George Manno (703-370-1838) or the church (703-486-8927).

We may still have tickets ($26 each) for the Thursday, June 8 8 p.m.  performance of "All My Sons" at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St., SW. Mail your check to Robin Larkin, 5403 Nibud Ct., Rockville, MD 20852 (240-669-6300 & [email protected]). Robin will distribute tickets in the lobby just before the performance.

Telling "Stories"

We continue our study of Time and Memory on Tuesday, June 20 with "Collected Stories" (1996), by Donald Margulies, "one of America's sharpest playwrights" (Los Angeles Times). "Collected Stories" portrays the deepening relationship between 2 women: a successful, middle-aged writer with a secret past, & a 20-something graduate student seeking material for her first novel. "Splendid" (New York Daily News), "powerful" (Chicago Tribune), with "original wit and observation throughout" (New York Times), "Collected Stories" is "a real page-turner"  (San Francisco Chronicle). This April, Margulies won the Pulitzer Prize for "Dinner With Friends" (1999). Director Jim Petosa will guide our June 20 discussion at Luna Books, 1633 P St., NW. RSVP after May 15 to [email protected]. We'll attend "Collected Stories" Sunday, July 16, at 3 p.m., at Theater J, 1529 16th St., NW, just 2 blocks from Luna Books. Tickets are $16. Mail your check to Robin Larkin, 5403 Nibud Ct., Rockville, MD 20852.

Awards Alert

On March 21, the Helen Hayes Awards announced this year's nominations.  Nine went to plays Footlights attended: 4 for "How I Learned to Drive"  (including Outstanding Resident Play), 2 acting nominations for "Angels in America, Part One--Millennium Approaches; 2 nominations for "The Adding Machine" (lighting and sound); & a nomination for set design for "Communicating Doors." The awards ceremony takes place Monday, May 8 at the Kennedy Center. For further information call 202-337- 4572 or go to www.helenhayes.org. Don't miss next year's nominees: send your check today to Robin Larkin for "All My Sons" & "Collected Stories."

Calendar

Monday, May 15, 6:30 p.m.: "Death and the Maiden," Delray Viet Gdn
Tuesday, June 20, 6:30 p.m.: "Collected Stories," Luna Books
Wednesday, July 19, 6:30 p.m.: "Time and the Conways," Delray Viet Gdn

Saturday, June 3, 8 p.m.: "Death and the Maiden" video, Arl. U-U Church
Thursday, June 8, 8 p.m.: "All My Sons," Arena Stage
Sunday, July 16, 3 p.m.: "Collected Stories," Theater J
Saturday, August 19, 2 p.m.: "Time and the Conways," Shaw Fest., Ontario