Witty Public Radio International commentator Sarah Vowell and the dynamic African-American Dance Ensemble highlight UNC Asheville’s 2001-02 cultural and special events season. The lineup of theater, world music and dance kicks off with a performance of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express Saturday, September 15.

Based in Virginia, the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express builds its tours on one simple idea: Shakespeare’s plays work best when performed under the conditions for which they were originally designed. Actors perform on a bare stage, play several roles and share the same light as the audience.

This technique will be used in Tom Stoppard’s Tony Award-winning "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead." This wickedly funny companion piece to "Hamlet" turns Shakespeare inside out, depicting the story from the point of view of Hamlet’s school chums. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" serves up a feast of wordplay, wit and slapstick while exploring timeless questions about identity and illusion.

SSE will perform "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" at 8 p.m. Saturday, September 15, at UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Tickets are $18 general admission.

Tickets may be purchsed between 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the UNCA Office of Student Life, Highsmith Center room 27, and may be charged by phone by calling 828/232-5000 during the hours listed above. General admission tickets are also available from Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in downtown Asheville.

Other events this season include:

** The six-piece ensemble Anima will bring its unique fusion of Brazilian, African, European, and Middle Eastern music to Asheville at 8 p.m. Saturday, October 6, in UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Using fiddles, 10-string guitar, Amazon tribal Kuluta flutes, Brazilian percussion instruments, harpsichord and recorders, Anima transcends the boundaries between classical and popular art. This event is co-sponsored by UNCA’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and UNCA Family Weekend.

** Join local Public Radio International fans for an entertaining evening with "This American Life" commentators Sarah Vowell and David Rakoff at 8 p.m. Friday, October 26, in UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium. Vowell has written about everything from her father’s homemade cannon and her obsession with "The Godfather" films to the New Hampshire primary and her Cherokee ancestors’ forced march on the Trail of Tears. An education columnist for "Time," she has appeared on "Nightline" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." A writer and actor, Rakoff is a frequent contributor to "The New York Times Magazine" and "Outside" magazine. He has worked in theater with David and Amy Sedaris and has appeared on television talk shows and dramas.

** The acclaimed African-American Dance Ensemble will charm audiences at 8 p.m. Saturday, February 9, at the Diana Wortham Theatre.  Blending artistry, athleticism and explosive energy, the ensemble dancers and drummers invite the audience to join the performance. Chuck Davis, founder and director of the Durham-based ensemble, is one of the foremost choreographers and teachers of the traditional techniques of African dance. This program is presented in partnership with the YMI Cultural Center and a consortium of other groups.

** The Arkansas Repertory Theater will perform the Tony Award-winning play "ART" at 8 p.m. Monday, March 4, in UNCA’s Lipinsky Auditorium. In Yasmina Reza’s dazzling comedy, a plain white painting seems to possess the power to dissolve strong bonds among three longtime friends who allow this simple canvas to wreak havoc on their relationship. The Arkansas Repertory Theater continues its history of more than 20 years of quality national touring productions with "ART."

** Back for a second consecutive year, UNCA’s Mountain Echoes Storyfest will delight listeners around campus Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. The three-day event features award-winning storytellers Jackie Torrence, Peninnah Schram, Jamal Koram and Connie Regan-Blake. Children’s programming, workshops and sacred tales round out the weekend.

** The esteemed Liz Lerman Dance Exchange will give the final performance of the season at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, at Diana Wortham Theater. The troupe asks the community, "What are you in praise of?" The answers fuel a performance project that blends inspirations and insights with dance and praise. Founded in 1976 by choreographer Liz Lerman, the company has evolved from a local studio to an internationally recognized performance company based in Maryland. This performance is presented by the Diana Wortham Theatre in conjunction with UNCA.

For a brochure of the UNCA 2001-02 cultural and special events season and for more information, call 828/232-5000 or click here.