The Flying Karamazov Brothers, stage veterans who have performed all around the world, will put on "Life-A Guide for the Perplexed" as part of their Center Series encore performance at UMass. This entertaining show pools together zany parables about different stages of life and how to survive in this modern age. Clive Barnes of The New York Post describes the brothers as a "recipe of good juggling and bad jokes [with] a touch of genius to them." (Fri., 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, UMass. Tickets $15 for Five College students.)

Timothy Hahn '06 adapts Anna Deavere Smith's "Twilight: Los Angeles 1992" for his senior project, creating and directing a novel production called "The Lightning Before the Rain." Based on actual interviews, the play examines the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 which directly followed the Rodney King trial and verdict. Hahn's production will bring to light different perspectives, not only from African-Americans and whites, but also from Asians and Latinos. (Thurs. to Sat., 8 p.m., Holden Theater. No admission charge.)

Mead Art Museum will exhibit "Dutch Masters of the Seventeenth Century" to promote the spirit of the GoDutch! program and to honor Rembrandt van Rijn's 400th birthday. The featured highlights of "Dutch Masters" are precious etchings that must be seen in person, made by Rembrandt himself. Works by Nicolaes Berchem, Hendrik Goltzius, Pieter van Laer, Paulus Moreelse, Jacob van Ruisdael and Geertruydt Roghman will also be on display. (Open through Aug. 20. Tues. to Sun., 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thurs., 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Collins Gallery, Mead Art Museum. No admission charge.)

Local Esperanto speakers will deliver speeches about this neutral language. Conceived by L. L. Zamenhof more than 100 years ago, Esperanto is an international language that is not associated with any particular social group, allowing for less biased and equal communication. Because the words are phonetically pronounced and the structure is fairly regular, Esperanto is not difficult to learn. There will be a session for questions and further discussion afterwards. (Wed., 7 p.m., Learning Commons, W.E.B. DuBois Library, UMass. No admission charge.)

Editors' DVD Pick of the Week

Similar in tone and casting to "Lost in Translation," "Broken Flowers" stars Bill Murray as Don Johnston, a despondent Casanova past his prime. When an anonymous letter informs him he has a 19 year-old son from one of his past affairs who is now searching for him, Johnston tracks down his past girlfriends with the help of a quirky neighbor (Jeffrey Wright '87). These ex-lovers range from a tawdry widow (Sharon Stone) to an eccentric pet therapist (Jessica Lange), providing a perfect dash of comedy mixed with drama.