From opera to puppetry, from human mobiles to lecture series, from street clowns to pizza fests, the seventh incarnation of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas will again offer a blend of the new and the old, the familiar and the exotic.
This year, the festival -- to be held June 13-30 -- has both a new director (Mary Miller) and a new name (Arts & Ideas New Haven).
"There is a real sense of adventure in our planning for 2002 -- the sense of a journey to far-flung places, but also an exploration of our own inherited pre-conceptions," says Miller, former head of the studio at the English National Opera and director of the Northlands International Festival in Scotland. "The program is very much about stories -- the hopes, aspirations and dreams of a remarkable mix of nationalities."
This year's celebration will bring back two favorites from previous years -- the Metropolitan Opera, which will present a free performance of "La Bohème" on the New Haven Green, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, which will stage "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Shubert Theater.
The new theatrical and musical offerings this year will include (among many others) "The Mysteries," a South African retelling of Bible stories; "Alive from Palestine: Stories Under Occupation," a look at life in the war zone; "Petrushka," a performance of Stravinsky's work by a puppet theater; and "Ancient Echoes," music by a long Celtic trumpet known as a carnyx.
The New Haven Green will be the site of a giant human mobile, as well as free lunchtime and evening performances. It will also be the site of two programs aimed at children and families, the annual "Heart of the Matter," a weekend of arts and science activities, and "Family Matters," weekday performances by groups from around the world, followed by hands-on activities.
Other special events during the festival include -- but are certainly not limited to -- a series of lectures on the theme "USA: As Others See Us -- A Dialogue" and talks on "Reshaping New Haven: The Urban Renewal Era 1950-1970"; poetry readings by contemporary authors; roving performances by a troupe of Scottish clowns; an exhibition of African American quilts at the Yale University Art Gallery and another about the unconventional books created by Ron King and the Circle Press at the Yale Center for British Art; a celebration of New Haven neighborhoods; and the Great Kinetic-cut Sound Sculpture Race.
Further details about the festival and its many events will appear in future issues of the Yale Bulletin & Calendar. Information (including ticket prices) is also available at 1-888-ARTIDEA and www.artidea.org.
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