FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS ACCOMPANY KUSHNER AND SENDAK’S BRUNDIBAR Berkeley Rep, UC Berkeley and Magnes Museum partner to present powerful programs BERKELEY CA, OCTOBER 25, 2005 Berkeley Repertory Theatre presents a series of public programs to accompany its highly anticipated production of Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak’s Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge. The Tony Award-winning theatre is proud to partner with important local institutions such as the Judah L. Magnes Museum, the UC Berkeley Jewish Studies program and a host of volunteers to present these free forums in November and December. These lectures, discussions and exhibitions investigate pertinent topics and allow participants to ask questions and air opinions about this daring artistic project and its historic context. The free events are made possible by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the lead education sponsor for Brundibar, with additional funding by the David B. Gold Foundation. An allegory of innocence triumphing over evil, Brundibar was originally composed in the ominous years leading up to World War II and was performed by children imprisoned at Terezín, the Nazi’s notorious “model ghetto.” To provide insight into this aspect of the show, the UC Berkeley Jewish Studies program presents free lectures by the eminent Holocaust scholar Elena Makarova, who is presently in residence at the university. These lectures, supported by the Eda and Joseph Pell Fund for Holocaust Studies at UC Berkeley, will be held in the UC Alumni House just north of Zellerbach Hall on the UC campus: • On Tuesday, November 15 at 7:00 PM, Makarova presents University over the Abyss, about the thousands of educational seminars taught at Terezín by the highly educated prisoners for their fellow inmates. • On Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 PM, Makarova presents Life for Art and Teaching, about the artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis (1898–1944) and her experience in Terezín as an art teacher for the camp’s children. Just east of the campus, at 2025 Addison Street in downtown Berkeley, Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre is the home for the following outreach programs: • Page to Stage: On Monday, November 21 at 7:00 PM, Makarova will give a third lecture entitled “Any Genre Except Tragedy: Theatre & Cabaret in Terezín.” In this conversation with the public, she describes the hundreds of performances given by those interned at the camp. Page to Stage is a series of free discussions, sponsored by Cody’s Books and Peet’s Coffee and Tea, that offers audiences insight into the plays and playwrights produced at Berkeley Rep. • Art exhibition in the lobby: Throughout the run of the show, artwork from Terezín will be displayed in the upper lobby of The Roda Theatre. “Brundibár: Prague, 1938 to Terezín, 1944” is an exhibition of period posters, which was created for the UC Berkeley Jewish Studies Program to accompany Makarova’s lectures. • Post-show discussions: Post-play discussions with members of the cast and artists associated with the show follow the performances on Thursday, December 8; Friday, December 16; and Tuesday, December 20. These talks are free with the purchase of a ticket to that evening’s show. • Docents: Berkeley Rep has trained docents to introduce you to this extraordinary show. Their informative presentations take place on the following dates: Saturday, November 19 at 3:30 PM; Sunday, November 20 at 6:00 PM; Tuesday, November 22 at 6:30 PM; Saturday, November 26 at 1:00 PM; Sunday, November 27 at 6:00 PM; Saturday, December 10 at 3:30 PM; Sunday, December 11 at 6:00 PM; and Thursday, December 15 at 6:30 PM. Each talk is free for those with tickets to any show on that date. Free presentations by Berkeley Rep’s docents can also be arranged off-site for groups of six or more who plan to see Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge. The docent will bring everything that’s needed for an informal presentation and engaging conversation about these daring shows. Each visit lasts about an hour, and can be scheduled for either before or after your group sees the performance. To purchase seats or to arrange a docent visit, call the box office at 510.647.2949 or 1.888.4BRTTix. Finally, throughout the run of this production, the Judah L. Magnes Museum hosts The Danube Exodus: The Rippling Current of the River by Péter Forgács and the Labyrinth Project. This multimedia installation from the award-winning Hungarian documentary filmmaker explores the displacement of ethnic minorities during World War II. Visitors to the interactive exhibition are immediately immersed in three interwoven historical narratives projected on five screens and accessible through a touch-screen interface. Founded in 1962, the Magnes Museum explores the depth, vitality and complexity of Jewish life and culture. Located at 2911 Russell Street in Berkeley, it is open Sunday through Thursday. The suggested admission price is $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors; children under 12 are admitted free. For more information, call 510.549.6950 or visit magnes.org. Performances of Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge take place in the Roda Theatre at Berkeley Rep; the show begins previews on November 11, opens on November 16 and closes December 28, 2005. A co-production between Berkeley Rep and Yale Repertory Theatre, this extraordinary work will transfer to Yale Rep in New Haven and then to New York’s New Victory Theater next year. For more information on any of these events, or to purchase tickets to a performance, call 510.647.2949, toll-free at 1.888.4BRTTix or visit berkeleyrep.org. ABOUT BERKELEY REP Founded in 1968, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre has established a national reputation for its ambitious programming and dynamic productions. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tony Taccone and Managing Director Susan Medak, Berkeley Rep seeks to engage its audience in an ongoing dialogue of ideas. Through its bold choice of material and vivid style of production, Berkeley Rep reflects a commitment to diversity, excitement and quality. The company is especially well known for its presentations of important new dramatic voices and its fresh adaptations of seldom-seen classics. In 2001, Berkeley Rep opened The Roda Theatre, a 600-seat proscenium theatre that complements the 400-seat Thrust Stage, and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, housed in the Nevo Education Center. The addition of these two buildings has transformed what was once a single stage into a vital and versatile performing arts complex. CALENDAR EDITORS, please note: WHO: Péter Forgács and the Labyrinth Project WHAT: The Danube Exodus: The Rippling Current of the River—an interactive installation that immerses visitors in three stories about the displacement of ethnic minorities during World War II WHERE: Judah L. Magnes Museum / 2911 Russell Street at Pine / Berkeley WHEN: September 12, 2005–January 22, 2006 / Sundays–Wednesdays, 11:00 AM–4:00 PM; Thursdays, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM / Closed Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving) HOW MUCH: Suggested admission price is $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors; children under 12 admitted free INFO: 510.549.6950 or magnes.org WHO: UC Berkeley Jewish Studies Program WHAT: Brundibár: Prague, 1938 to Terezín, 1944 (an exhibition of period posters) WHERE: Berkeley Repertory Theatre / Upper lobby of The Roda Theatre / 2015 Addison Street at Shattuck / Berkeley WHEN: November 11–December 28, 2005 HOW MUCH: Free with purchase of a ticket to a performance on the same date ($10–$64) INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org WHO: Renowned Holocaust scholar Elena Makarova WHAT: University over the Abyss—a lecture about the thousands of educational seminars taught by the highly educated prisoners for their fellow inmates at Terezín, the Nazi’s “model ghetto” WHERE: UC Alumni House (just north of Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus) WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 7:00 PM HOW MUCH: Free! INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org WHO: Renowned Holocaust scholar Elena Makarova WHAT: Life for Art and Teaching—a lecture about the artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis (1898–1944) and her experience in Terezín as an art teacher for the camp’s children WHERE: UC Alumni House (just north of Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus) WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 7:00 PM HOW MUCH: Free! INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org WHO: Renowned Holocaust scholar Elena Makarova WHAT: Any Genre Except Tragedy: Theatre & Cabaret in Terezín—a lecture about the more than 400 performances given by those interned at the Nazi’s “model ghetto” WHERE: Berkeley Repertory Theatre / 2015 Addison Street at Shattuck / Berkeley WHEN: Monday, November 21, 7:00 PM HOW MUCH: Free! INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org WHO: Trained volunteers speak to local theatre-lovers WHAT: Docent presentations about Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge WHERE: Berkeley Repertory Theatre / 2015 Addison Street at Shattuck / Berkeley WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 3:30 PM / Sunday, November 20, 6:00 PM / Tuesday, November 22, 6:30 PM / Saturday, November 26, 1:00 PM / Sunday, November 27, 6:00 PM / Saturday, December 10, 3:30 PM / Sunday, December 11, 6:00 PM / Thursday, December 15, 6:30 PM HOW MUCH: Free with purchase of a ticket to that night’s performance ($50–$64) INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org WHO: Members of the cast and artists associated with the show WHAT: Post-play discussions for Brundibar and Comedy on the Bridge WHERE: Berkeley Repertory Theatre / 2015 Addison Street at Shattuck / Berkeley WHEN: Thursday, December 8, 7:30 PM / Friday, December 16, 8:00 PM / Tuesday, December 20, 7:30 PM HOW MUCH: Free with purchase of a ticket to that night’s performance ($50–$58) INFO: 510.647.2949 or berkeleyrep.org Media contact: Terence Keane 510.647.2917, tkeane@berkeleyrep.org BACK TO TOP