:: propagandART ~ november 7, 2005 ::

Congratulations to this week's ticket winners....
~ Carol Carlson (Hilary Hahn)
~ Laura Bishop (Arlo Guthrie)

i love giving away free tickets! :-)

:: Hilary Hahn, Violin ::

Words cannot convey the intellectual, emotional, and musical maturity of world-class violinist Hilary Hahn — who at age 25 is already a master. Once named "America’s Best Young Classical Musician" by Time magazine, Hahn appears regularly with the world's finest orchestras and has become, for many, one of the greatest hopes for reviving classical music in the 21st century.

"Hilary Hahn does everything right. She has a marvelous tone that shades one way or another for added meaning. She knows how to fill a big hall with personality." – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Tuesday, November 8, 2005 ~ 7:30pm
Leid Center ~ 11th and R Street
Tickets: $32/28/22 Student/Youth: $16/14/11
www.deutschegrammophon.com

:: Matt & Ben ::

from m@: oh my god. i saw this tonight and laughed my ass off. it was so good. i just had to stick around after the show so i could gush all over the two actresses. both were great...but amy's deadpan ben affleck had me practically snorting. this only runs wed through friday this week. don't miss this one!

Rough Magic Productions proudly presents the Nebraska premiere production of MATT & BEN, a marvelous satire of Hollywood, celebrity, male relationships, making it big, and most of all Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. MATT & BEN was created and originally performed by two former classmates of the actors, who naturally wondered how some are chosen for stardom while others (perhaps equally or more deserving) aren't. The beauty of this piece (as one critic pointed out) is the joy the writers take in naming names, refusing to soft-pedal the satire. This pointed farce was national news when it originally ran in New York and we are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to bring it to Lincoln.

The story follows Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two young actors (played by women) and best friends on the verge of fame. On a "lazy Saturday in Somerville, Massachusetts," they are working on a screenplay they believe will change their lives: an adaptation of JD Salinger's classic, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Then, suddenly, an amazing original script falls into Ben's living room with their names already on it. That script is called GOOD WILL HUNTING. What are they to do? Who sent this script? Is it a blessing or a curse? What happened at the senior year talent show? Will Casey lose his speech impediment? Most importantly, can their friendship survive this strange miracle?

Rough Magic Productions' mission is to use a collaborative, nourishing atmosphere to produce new works of theatre that balance culture and counterculture, responsibility and risk, relevance and timelessness. Now in our fifth year, we are delighted to continue to bring Lincoln new, original, and experimental theatre.

November 9-11 ~ 7:30pm
The Loft at the Mill ~ 8th & P Streets
General Admission: $10 at the door, $8 In advance; $5 Students & Seniors
Tickets may be reserved by calling 730-3936

For more info on the history and previous productions of MATT & BEN visit www.mattandben.com
For more info on Rough Magic and their production e-mail us at: roughmagicproductions@yahoo.com or call Gregory Peters at 402-730-3936

:: TJ McCloud ::

Singer/songwriter TJ McCloud is best known for his work with StephenSpeaks, the acoustic rock outfit he started while in college which eventually exploded into an international success and underground college phenomenon. His sound personifies the elements of the most successful singer/songwriters-- thoughtful, starkly honest lyrics about life, love and faith, stripped-down instrumentation and simple, irresistable melodies. Drawing comparisons to other members of the "new folk" movement, any fan of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, or Jason Mraz will instantly find a new favorite artist in TJ McCloud. Addidtionally, Lincoln's own Zakk + Justin will be opening, providing their own brand of energetic, eclectic and (to use their own term) "popalicious" acoustic songwriting. Visit www.tjmccloud.com or www.myspace.com/justinandzakk for more information.

November 10th ~ 7:00 pm
Meadowlark Coffee Shop ~ 17th and South
This show is free, and a great reason to check out one of Lincoln's newest and most exciting new venues and coffee houses.

:: Bad Tuxedo Book & Music Tour ::

For one of the most unusual book tours of the fall, check out Unbridled Books author Timothy Schaffert’s event, the Bad Tuxedo Book & Music Tour. Named for the powder-blue tux worn by piano-lounge crooner Hud Smith (a character in Schaffert’s new novel, The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God), the Bad Tuxedo tour is an unusual twist on the average author meet-and-greet. Besides the usual fare, Schaffert will read from his newest novel and appear with musicians from each region he visits. In our case, he'll be joined by Wendy (Bantam) & the Lost Boys!! Wendy has appeared at a few different places around town including the Zoo Bar. She's got a wonderful, sweet voice and fronts an exceptional set of musicians.

Friday, November 11, 2005 ~ 7pm
Lee Booksellars ~ 56th & Hwy 2
Free

:: Nashville Pussy ::

It’s been said that the devil has all the best tunes, but that’s not the case anymore, since a lil’ ol’ band from Georgia -- known to friends and followers as Nashville Pussy -- found a way to pick the lock on that storehouse of demonic sonics and make off with some of its most incendiary contents.

While they’ve been at it for the better part of the decade, the band -- fronted by the hard-livin’ hard-rockin’ husband/wife team of Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys -- has never been more intensely supercharged than on Get Some. And in terms of sound? Furrowed-brow types might throw around all sorts of fancy terminology in describing how Nashville Pussy’s hard-living hard rock cuts to the quick, but Cartwright prefers to put it in terms just about everyone can understand:

“It’s like AC/DC making out with Motorhead while Lynyrd Skynyrd watches.”

Friday, November 11 ~ 9ish
Knickerbockers ~ 9th & O

:: A Streetcar Named Desire ::

Set against the steamy backdrop of New Orleans' gritty French Quarter just after World War II, Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is the story of Blanche Dubois, a faded Southern belle, driven to madness by the harshness of life. Love, fear, lust, betrayal and violence provide brilliantly complex emotions that drive this masterpiece.

Lincoln Community Playhouse ~ 56th & Normal
489-7529

:: Jane Eyre ::

The Haymarket Theatre proudly presents a moving story for all time and a stunning portrayal of one of the world's best-loved heroines.

Charlotte Bronte's magnificent Gothic love story, Jane Eyre, is brought to life on the Haymarket Theatre stage under the direction of Fred Stuart. Kelli Chaves stars as Jane Eyre, with Sean Schmeits as Mr. Rochester and Liz Banset as Mrs. Fairfax. A cast of 24 tell the epic story of Jane Eyre, one rich in mystery and romanticism.

In the burned-out ruins of Thornfield Hall, the adult Jane Eyre recounts her miserable upbringing as an orphan thrust upon unsympathetic relatives, her trials at the infamous Lowood School, and eventually her position as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets and falls in love with its enigmatic master, Edward Rochester. Jane eventually unravels the secrets of this mysterious place, achieving a personal epiphany through honesty, courage and sacrifice.

November 10-12 ~ 7:30pm
November 13 ~ 2pm
November 17-19 ~ 7:30pm
November 19-20 ~ 2pm
Haymarket Theatre ~ 803 Q Street
Call 477-2600 for reservations
$16 for general admission; $13 for seniors; and $11 for students

:: Anton Chekhov's The Seagull ::

Destination: Russia. On a country estate, Konstantin stages a play attended by his mother Arkadina, a famous aging actress, and her young lover, Trigorin, a famous writer. The budding young actress, Nina, becomes enchanted with Trigorin, devastating Konstantin. A story of the complexities of relationships and unrequited love!

Guest TATIANA ANOSOVA directs the production along with UNL Associate Professor Virginia Smith. Smith commented, "I've chosen the most American adaptation I can find to make the production as clear as we can for our audience. I think this is set in an achingly beautiful place--the lake, the trees, the shining grass. The fireflies. The stars! It is so beautiful it seems like a place where dreams come true. The people in the play are aching viscerally for love. They are like, to steal a phrase, "teakettles about to boil." The humor comes from the passions. The passions are not chaste and tepid. They are visceral, painful, even life-altering."

November 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19 at 7:30 PM and
November 13 at 2:00 PM
Howell Theatre, first floor Temple Building, 12th & R
Tickets are $16 general/$14 faculty, staff and senior citizen/$10 student/youth
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Lied Center box office at 402-472-4747

:: Dogs Playing Poker ::

If you loved last year's Sylvia, You'll love Dogs Playing Poker! The Living Picture Project will team up again with the Nebraska Humane Society for the original script, THE DOGS PLAYING POKER, by James Keim. It couldn't be a more perfect fit for this production...the group performed the hilarious and touching comedy Sylvia to sold out audiences last November. Many people may not realize, but the Humane Society has an auditorium in its state of the art facility. The audience just may leave this show with the urge to make an adoption of an animal.

Directed by Gordon Krentz, DOGS PLAYING POKER is a heartwarming comedy inspired by the whimsical paintings of C.M. Coolidge that have been immortalized on everything from playing cards, to t-shirts, to black velvet paintings hanging on barroom walls. It's a young dog's "coming of age" story where he must choose between a life of running the streets, chasing cars, and howling at the moon, or a life of domestication where he embraces the dog's virtue of loyalty. The poker games offer a backdrop for the story and the arguments about a dog's purpose in life.

November 3-6, 10-13, 17, 18, 20, 25-27
Shows will start at 7:30 p.m. from Thursdays-Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m
Humane Society

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students or seniors.
Bring a blanket for donation and receive $5 off general admission price.
For questions about the play, tickets, or the Living Picture Project call 556-5616.

:: Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant 40th Anniversary Massacree Tour ::

On Thanksgiving Day 1965, Arlo Guthrie began writing his epic song, "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree," based on actual events that took place in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Today Arlo, along with his son Abe on keyboards and Gordon Titcomb on steel, mandolin, and banjo, reminds audiences that even 40 years later the song still speaks volumes about "freedom, peace, justice — the usual stuff." A natural-born storyteller and the son of legendary folk artist Woody Guthrie, Arlo continues to keep alive the traditions and social values of the 1960s.

"Some people think a folksinger is someone who just sings their own songs. That's a shame. It's like being of the tradition, rather than in it. I've taught myself to make any song I like my own. This is the secret of all great spiritual teachings: claim nothing as yours and everything belongs to you." – Arlo Guthrie

Friday, November 11, 2005 ~ 7:30pm
Leid Center ~ 11th and R Street
Tickets: $39/34/29 Student/Youth: $19.50/17/14.50

:: Bright Eyes ::

Recording since the age of 13 and tagged “rock’s boy genius,” 24 year-old Omaha-Native Conor Oberst belongs to the lineage of great American songwriters. Over the past two years Bright Eyes has found himself hurled from his indie rock enclave onto the world’s stage. While reaching new heights of commercial success, he was hailed by fans as the finest songwriter of his generation. But he remained, and remains, an artist unwilling to leave his hometown label for any major label’s promises. All the while, critical acclaim has spread far and wide with Bright Eyes selling out several hugely lauded tours and finding an ever swelling and ravenous audience throughout the world. Join him for an unforgettable evening at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater.

Friday, November 11, 2005, at 8pm
Orpheum Theater ~ 1300 Douglas, Omaha
Phone: 402-345-0606

:: Movie Talk: Shakespeare on Film ::

Watch Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke, then stick around for an insightful discussion lead by Stephen Buhler!

HAMLET by Michael Almereyda (2000, 111 minutes, Rated R, USA)
Starring Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Bill Murray, Julia Stiles

Corporate bigwigs are royalty and New York City skyscrapers are 21st-century castles in this edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. Uncle Claudius claims Hamlet's mother as his queen and Denmark Corporation as his realm after the death of Hamlet's father. Urged on by a ghostly apparition, young Hamlet first seeks proof of his uncle's guilt and then explores the best way to exact revenge and reclaim the company.

THE LIMITS OF ADAPTATION: Almereyda's HAMLET
PRESENTER: STEPHEN BUHLER

After the screening, Professor Buhler will discuss with audience members the dizzying array of media and filmic quotations that director Almereyda employs in adapting Shakespeare's play and in thinking through the processes of adaptation itself. Similar to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet (1996) in its brash, self-aware approach and its preservation of Shakespeare's language, Almereyda's film goes even further in making cultural and historical translation a central theme. The film, the play, and their protagonist join together to meditate on what we owe to the past.

Stephen M. Buhler is Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he teaches courses on Renaissance literature and on its connections with the performing arts. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. He has written numerous articles and book chapters on Shakespeare, exploring his plays' philosophical and religious backgrounds, their presence in popular culture, and their capacity for coming to life in the literature classroom. His book Shakespeare in the Cinema: Ocular Proof is considered a definitive text on strategies employed in adapting Shakespeare for film. Copies of his book will be on sale after the screening and Professor Buhler will be available to sign copies. With director Bob Hall, he co-founded the Flatwater Shakespeare Company and serves as the ensemble's dramaturg and education director.

Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm
The Ross Film Theater ~ 313 North 13th
Free Admission
www.theross.org

:: Free @ 6: CA Waller ::

Lincoln-based acoustic bluesman C.A.Waller is one of the Midwest’s finest blues artists and an essential member of the Nebraska arts scene. Having honed his style in Houston blues joints, Waller today is a highly knowledgeable blues historian, dedicated to preserving the blues through his soulful presentations. Hit his website for more: www.cawaller.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2005 ~ 6:00pm
Leid Center ~ 11th and R Street
Tickets: FREE!