Arts & Culture

Courtesy photoThe Flying Karamazov BrothersDoes contemporary life get you down? Does the ephemeral nature and inescapable pointlessness of human existence leave you feeling lost, confused, befuddled or bewildered? Don’t worry, all will become clear when the Flying Karamazov Brothers, those comic jugglers extraordinaire, bring Life: A Guide for the Perplexed to Washington University as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series.

Eric Woolsey*Hickordickory*From Tennessee Williams to Shepherd Mead and A.E. Hotchner, Washington University boasts a strong tradition of original drama. This year the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences will celebrate that tradition with four original plays by alumni, faculty and students. The series begins Sept. 29 to Oct. 8 with Hickorydickory, a playful, magical-realist-style work by recent alumnae Marisa Wegrzyn.

MacDonaldHugh Macdonald, the Avis H. Blewett Professor of Music in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, will speak on “What Did Bizet Write?” at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. Macdonald will serve as general editor for a proposed new edition of the works of Georges Bizet, a joint venture between French and German publishers.

Kellie Wells, Ph.D., and Kerri Webster, both writers-in-residence in the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences, will launch the fall Writing Program Reading Series at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7.

Courtesy photoInti-IllimaniInti-Illimani, the groundbreaking, eight-man Chilean ensemble that performs on 30 wind, string and percussion instruments, will make their St. Louis debut at Washington University in St. Louis. The special, one-night-only concert begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series.

Mahalia celebrates the life and music of gospel great Mahalia Jackson (1911-72).

The program will focus on the music of two contrasting historical periods — the 18th-century Baroque and the early 20th century — through the work of composers representing the breadth of Europe.

Kellie Wells, Ph.D., and Kerri Webster, both writers-in-residence in the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences, will launch the fall Writing Program Reading Series at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7.

The event regularly serves as the unofficial kickoff to St. Louis’ professional dance season.

The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will open its 2006-07 concert season at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, with a performance by the Washington University Chamber Orchestra. The program will focus on the music of two contrasting historical periods — the 18th-century Baroque and the early 20th century — through the work of composers representing the breadth of Europe.