Author: Liam Otten

Armies burning with religious fervor, towns overrun by mercenary violence, a family disintegrating amidst the crossfire. Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children is widely considered the greatest anti-war play of the 20th century. Later this month Washington University’s Performing Arts Department will present this epic tale of a protective yet all-too pragmatic matriarch as its spring Mainstage production.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, popularly known as the Duomo, is an icon of Florence and one of Europe’s largest churches, famous for the massive domed roof designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, the structure — built between 1296 and 1436 — also boasts several attributes that today are associated with sustainable […]

Poet David Lehman, Ph.D., editor of “The Best American Poetry” series, will read from his work at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2, for The Writing Program in Arts & Sciences. The talk — part of The Writing Program Reading Series — is free and open to the public and takes place in Duncker Hall, Room […]

St. Louis’ Arianna String Quartet, widely hailed as among the nation’s finest chamber ensembles, will be joined by renowned pianist Seth Carlin, professor of music in Arts & Sciences, for a concert of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Erno Dohnanyi and Robert Schumann.

Three prominent writers will examine “African American Literature Today” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in Hurst Lounge. The discussion — sponsored by the African & African-American Studies Program and by the Center for the Humanities, both in Arts & Sciences — will focus on a pair of new anthologies, Best African American Essays 2009 and Best African American Fiction 2009, both published by Bantam Books.

Poet David Lehman, editor of The Best American Poetry series, will read from his work at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2, for the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences. Lehman is the author of several collections of poems, including Poetry Forum: A Play Poem: A Pl’em (with Judith Hall, 2007), Jim and Dave Defeat the Masked Man (with James Cummins, 2006), When a Woman Loves a Man (2005), The Evening Sun (2002), The Daily Mirror: A Journal in Poetry (2000), Valentine Place (1996), Operation Memory (1990) and An Alternative to Speech (1986).

The dance sensation Diavolo return to St. Louis and perform two shows for the Edison Theatre OVATIONS Series, as well as a special matinee for the ovations for young people series.

“Leningrad,” a seminal performance in post-Stalin Soviet Union, will be replicated Monday, March 30, by the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Community Partnership Program.

Photo by Mary ButkusFashion is fun, challenging, inspiring and everywhere. It is also hard work. On Sunday, March 29, 11 seniors and seven juniors from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts — home to the nation’s oldest four-year fashion design program — will present the fruit of their labors in the school’s 80th Annual Fashion Design Show Sunday.

Tracy Davis, the Barber Professor of Performing Arts at Northwestern University and president of the American Society for Theatre Research, will present the 2009 Helen Clanton Morrin Lecture at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 1.