Tony Kushner’s adaptation of “The Illusion” will be performed, which tells the story of a dying father who finds a way to reach out to his exiled son. Directed by William Cranch ’08 with set design by Brendan Horton ’08 and acting by Chris Gillyard ’08. Thurs., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., Holden Theater. No admission charge. Call the box office at 413-542-2277 for reservations.
Smith College presents “You/Me/Here/Now: MFA Dance Concert,” featuring original choreography and performance by second-year graduate students in the Smith College Dance program. Thurs., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., Theatre 14, Mendenhall Center, Smith College. Tickets are $5 for students & seniors, $9 for general public. Call the box office at 413-585-2787.
Lectures & Readings
Frost Library will host its first Black History Month Lecture, featuring Professor Horace Porter ’72 and Uthman Muhammad ’70. They will talk about their experience as underclassmen at Amherst and the campus climate during and after the assassination of Dr. King. The lecture will be followed by a reception. Fri, 7 p.m., Alumni House. No admission charge.
Michael Granoff will present his speech “From Think Tank to Gas Tank: A Journey into the Future of Energy” at UMass. Granoff helped found the Washington-based advocacy group SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy), and is responsible for bringing together Israeli leaders to create an infrastructure for mass production of electric cars in the State of Israel. Tues., 7 p.m., UMass Amherst Campus Center Room 168. No admission charge.
Starting Friday, Feb. 15, the Mead Art Museum will begin to offer a series of free lunchtime gallery talks on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each “Ten Minutes with a Masterpiece” will be presented by a student in the museum’s volunteer docent program and will offer a fresh look at a single artwork in the collection. Fridays and Wednesdays starting Fri., Feb. 15. No admission charge.
Professor Edward Greenstein of Bar-Ilan University in Israel will give a lecture entitled “The Problem of Evil in the Book of Job.” Greenstein has penned such works as “Essays on Biblical Method and Translation,” “The Timetables of Jewish History” and “Reader Responsibility: The Making of Meaning in Biblical Narrative.” Mon., 4:30 p.m., 101 Chapin Hall. No admission charge.
Activities
The Peruvian Education Initiative (PEI) will host a charity ping pong tournament. The tournament will offer advanced singles, intermediate singles and doubles divisions. Players will compete for cash prizes of up to $50. Novelty T-shirts, ping pong balls featuring President Marx’s face and refreshments will also be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit PEI’s non-profit work in Lima, Peru. Sun., 12 p.m., Friedman Room. Entry fee is $5 for singles and $8 for a doubles pair. Registration online or at Valentine Dining Hall during dinner.