Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 11.20.03

The University Theatre offers up three fresh plays for its fourth annual "New Voices" presentation. The productions, written by student playwrights Matt Chorpenning, Dinae Horn and L. Maximillian McCall, were selected by a committee in the UO's Department of Theatre Arts, and each explores relationships in a different way. Chorpenning's Talking to Strangers explores romantic comedy with a twist, McCall's Need explores the underlying truth between relationships and commitment, and Horne's Between the Lines (pictured) focuses on communication, utilizing sparse dialogue and neutral masks. See Thursday, Nov. 20 Calendar.

Music lovers who crave a taste of the sublime this Thanksgiving week can feast their ears on a tantalizing bit of aural history, Beethoven Cycle: Pastorale, followed by the rich Durufle Requiem. The Eugene Symphony will perform both pieces along with conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (pictured) and the Eugene Symphony Chorus. Pastorale is light — full of babbling brooks and peasants dancing — while Requiem, a fitting dessert, is deep and meditative. The performance takes place at The Hult Center's Silva Concert Hall. See Thursday, Nov. 20 Calendar.

His Milagro Beanfield War is hailed as "one of the most significant contributions to American literature." John Nichols proposes that a hopeful future depends on a combination of concepts from John Muir, Malcolm X, Rachel Carson and Karl Marx. Nichols, a renowned novelist, screenwriter and photographer, will speak on "Liberation Ecology" at OSU's Milan Auditorium. See Thursday, Nov. 20 Corvallis Events.

Richard Falk, Milbank professor emeritus of national law at Princeton University, is a pivotal figure in the debate over the U.S. response to terrorism. He questions the effectiveness of U.S.-led anti-terrorism efforts in his recent book, The Great Terror War. Falk, who has also written numerous other notable works, will speak on "Revisiting the Great Terror War" at the UO this week, explaining his progressive, democracy-based approach to promoting global security as an alternative to the Bush administration's "War on Terror." See Thursday, Nov. 20 Calendar.

Driving Miss Daisy, opening at the Hult Center this Friday, presents audiences with an evening of light-hearted entertainment expertly fused with deep, complex undertones. On the surface, the play follows the sometimes-humorous story of an elderly Jewish woman and her black chauffeur from 1948 to 1973. A closer look at Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning script reveals a story that subtly and tactfully explores the volatile issues surrounding relationships, racism and getting older. See Friday Calendar.