University unveils latest cultural jewel

Janine DiVita, above, plays the lead role of Fania Fenelon, a part-Jewish French cabaret singer during World War II, in 'Playing for Time.' DiVita is a senior BFA student majoring in musical theatre. All photos by Lin Jones, U-M Photo Services.

The new theater, above, seats 270 people. Aaron Seeburger, below, left, sophomore LSA student, and Alexandra Odell, junior, BFA theater performance major, participate in a Directing 4 class at the Walgreen Drama Center, new home to the department.

Etai Benschlomo, above, sophomore and BFA musical theatre major, is the light board operator for the play.

Henry Reynolds, above, purple shirt, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre & Drama and manager of information systems for University Productions, is the sound designer the production of 'Playing for Time'—the first play to be performed in the new Arthur Miller Theatre. Philip Michael, sophomore, second from right, and Dan Budai, junior, right, serve as assistant sound designers. Both students are working to earn Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in performing arts technology and Bachelor of Science in sound engineering degrees.

For more than a half century, Arthur Miller's work defined the existential and moral questions at the heart of a post-World War II American society. A theatre named to honor the'38 alumnus opens March 29 with "Playing for Time," a drama that delves into issues of moral choice and identity found in Miller's most significant works.

The inaugural production at the Arthur Miller Theatre is based on a harrowing World War II biographical account of a part-Jewish French cabaret singer. The sold-out play marks a beginning for a venue that aims to reflect and honor Miller's mores, probing wit and uncompromising vision, says Christopher Kendall, dean of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

"In the history of the American stage, there have been few playwrights on the scale of Arthur Miller," Kendall says. "This theatre honors his accomplishments and influence. For students, it's more than a stage; it's a symbol that theatre is a dynamic means to probe the human condition."

Along with the performance, a range of programs will delve into Miller's life and work, most notably, "The Global Miller Symposium," March 29-31, one of many events sponsored by "Arts on Earth," a new campus-wide initiative. For a complete list of grand opening events go to www.music.umich.edu.

Critics usually cite Miller, Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams as undisputed pillars of American theatre. The U-M venue is the only theatre in the world named for Miller.

The opening events cast light on the special relationship between Miller and the academic setting where he learned his craft, refined his art and won his initial accolades as an emerging playwright, says President Mary Sue Coleman.

"The connections that students make with professors during their years at the University of Michigan often shape the course of their lives," she says. "Arthur Miller knew that firsthand, and whenever he came to campus, always spent time with students, knowing the power of his encouragement and interest in their studies."

Arthur Miller Theatre is located within the Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Drama Center on North Campus. The theatre seats 270 in a proscenium configuration with the flexibility of adding a three-quarter-thrust design. State-of-the art facilities feature set building and costume design areas, along with the latest high-tech lighting and sound equipment.

"Playing for Time"—directed by Alumnus Robert Chapel—will showcase the new venue, says Department of Theatre & Drama Chair Gregory Poggi.

"The play is rarely performed, given its scope and the large scale of its production," he says. "So it is fitting to open the Arthur Miller Theatre with a work with which audiences are not familiar, and one that expresses, in Miller's words, 'raising the truth-consciousness of mankind to a level of such intensity as to transform those who observe it.'"

A slide show and interviews with faculty are available at www.umich.edu/news.