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Nassau Notes
Program in Theater and Dance
Adaptation of an 18th-century Japanese puppet play
The Program in Theater and Dance will present ''Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards,'' an adaptation of an 18th-century Japanese puppet play, at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 18-20, in the Berlind Theatre.
The play, a fairy tale of love and honor, will feature a cast of 13 Princeton students, including (from left), Debra Siegel, Ronit Rubinstein and Alex Ripp. The performance is based on the adaptation of ''Fair Ladies'' by Peter Oswald, longtime playwright-in-residence at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Originally written by Kabuki playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the play will be directed by Erica Schmidt, best known for her New York Shakespeare Festival production of ''As You Like It.''
Ticket information is available online through University Ticketing at <www.princeton.edu/utickets/> or by calling the McCarter Theatre box office at 258-2787.
New lecture series explores intersection of arts and technology
Faculty and staff members from across the University have organized a series of lectures on the interaction of technology and the arts. The series, called /@rts (''slash arts''), begins with a talk by video and installation artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau St.
The /@rts series is being organized by faculty and staff in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Office of Information Technology, the Council for the Humanities, the Program in Visual Arts, the University Art Museum and the departments of computer science and music. Invited speakers will include visual artists, computer scientists, sociologists, composers, musicians and other performers and scholars, who will discuss topics ranging from new media to traditional forms and practices in the arts and humanities.
''Speakers will explore topics such as how cultural icons are reshaped by technology, how digital and mass media affect artists and culture, and how technology is, in turn, impacted by art, creating new technologies which then continue the cycle of reshaping culture,'' according to the organizers.
The idea for the lecture series grew out of the recent strategic planning workshops held by the engineering school at which faculty and staff members emphasized the already strong ties between academic programs in engineering and the arts and humanities. ''We are organizing this lecture series to increase the dialogue among the many disciplines, both technological and not, that make up the fabric of our University's intellectual life,'' said dean of engineering Maria Klawe.
Further information on upcoming speakers is available at <www.princeton.edu/slasharts>.
Future of Internet access is topic
A lecture on ''The Future of Broadband Internet Access -- What, Why and How'' is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in McCosh 50.
Robert Lucky, an engineer known worldwide for his writing and speaking about technology and society, will present the talk as part of the University's Public Lectures Series. He is expected to discuss the sociology, economics and policies governing high-speed Internet access.
Lucky has led premier research laboratories in telecommunications over the last several decades, first at Bell Labs and then at Telcordia Technologies, where he was corporate vice president for applied research. Early in his career he invented the adaptive equalizer, the key enabler for all high-speed modems today. He co-wrote a textbook on data communications that was the most cited reference in the field for a decade.
Lucky is the author of many technical papers and of several books, including ''Silicon Dreams'' and ''Lucky Strikes Again.'' Most engineers, however, know him best because of the monthly columns he has written for Spectrum Magazine over the last 20 years offering philosophical and sometimes humorous observations on engineering, life and technology.
Lucky's talk is designated as the Spencer Trask Lecture and will be available for online viewing a week afterward at <www.princeton.edu/webmedia>.
Miller addresses human trafficking
Ambassador John Miller, senior adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell and director of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, will speak at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in 16 Robertson Hall.
His address, titled ''The Tragedy of Modern-Day Slavery: Combating Trafficking in Persons,'' is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the Gender and Policy Network and the Women's Center.
A former congressman from Washington, Miller was appointed to his post in July 2004. His office works to fight human exploitation and trafficking, including outright slavery, forced servitude, child ''soldiering'' and coerced prostitution. The office also focuses on the development and implementation of victim rescue efforts and prevention methods programming.
Among Miller's key responsibilities is the development of the office's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, known as the TIP report. Released each year by the U.S. Secretary of State, it serves as a powerful diplomatic tool and provides an in-depth analysis of the state of human exploitation and trafficking, best practices and remediation efforts in more than 140 countries.
Panel planned on slave chants
Chattering Songs,'' a panel discussion on the collection of slave chants (''jongos'') recorded by professor emeritus Stanley Stein in Brazil 60 years ago, is planned for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in 10 East Pyne.
During the late 1940s, Stein was in the Paraíba Valley in Brazil, investigating the decline of the coffee plantations and the resulting deterioration of the entire system that had guaranteed the Brazilian elite's wealth during the 19th century. While doing his fieldwork, he recorded former slaves singing jongos.
The ''Chattering Songs'' panel will offer the opportunity to listen and reflect on the jongos. The panel will encourage the discussion of the significance of oral traditions in the formation of collective cultural perspectives, as well as the importance and complexity of collecting such oral material.
Discussants will include: Stein; Princeton faculty members Arcadio Diaz-Quiñones, Michael Stone and Colin Palmer; and Silvia Lara and Robert Slenes of the University of Campinas, Brazil.
The event is sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures, Department of History, Program in African-American Studies, Program in Latin American Studies and Davis Center for Historical Studies.
Recent grad to read from work
Short-story writer and novelist Jonathan Safran Foer will read from his work at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau St.
The 1999 Princeton alumnus is the author of the debut novel, ''Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), which grew out of his creative writing senior thesis project. His second novel, ''Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,'' is due to be published in the spring.
Foer will be introduced at the reading by faculty member Joyce Carol Oates, who was one of his thesis advisers. The event is part of the Creative Writing Program's Althea Ward Clark Reading Series.
Key role of black churches examined
Black Churches and Post-Civil Rights Movement Activism: Shifting Ground, Unsure Footing'' is the topic of a lecture to be presented at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in 16 Robertson Hall.
R. Drew Smith, director of the Faith Communities and Urban Families Project and scholar-in-residence at the Leadership Center at Morehouse College, will deliver the talk, which is part of the Crossroads in Religion and Politics series sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Smith has been cited for his commentaries on the need for a greater understanding and the importance of faith-based initiatives as they pertain to social issues and public life as well as the influential role black churches have played in supporting core black issues.
Former Swedish prime minister to speak
Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister and United Nations envoy to the Balkans, will deliver a lecture on self-determination and international politics at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.
Bildt was Sweden's prime minister from 1991 to 1994 and also has served as a member of the country's parliament and chair of its Moderate Party. His government negotiated Sweden's 1995 entry into the European Union and undertook far-reaching reforms to improve Sweden's competitiveness and modernize its welfare system.
From 1995 to 1997, Bildt served as the EU special representative to the former Yugoslavia and high representative to Bosnia. He was a United Nations special envoy to the Balkans between 1999 and 2001.
On display at the Firestone Library's Milberg Gallery
His talk is the inaugural Prince of Liechtenstein Lecture on Self-Determination and the International System. It is sponsored by the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Davis Center to mark 35th
To celebrate its 35th anniversary, the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies is holding a conference on ''The Discipline of History'' Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19-20, in 211 Dickinson Hall. Panel discussions featuring former Davis Center directors and fellows will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. For a copy of the conference schedule, e-mail Jennifer Houle at <jhoule@princeton.edu>. Registration is not required, and there are no pre-circulated papers.
Firestone Library's Milberg Gallery
This depiction of the plight of the Jewish refugees in Europe in 1938 by artists Emery Kelen and Alois Derso is one of the works on display at the Firestone Library's Milberg Gallery through March 20.
The exhibition, ''Derso & Kelen: Cartoons & Caricatures,'' highlights the political cartoons, portraits, magazine illustrations and limited edition portfolios created by Derso and Kelen commenting on political events from 1920 to 1950. Their subjects include delegates attending the numerous economic and peace conferences after World War I, the activities and proceedings of the League of Nations, the rise of Hitler and the devastation of World War II, and the founding of the United Nations.
The collection was donated to the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library in 2002 by Emery Kelen's wife, Betty, and their daughter Julia Kelen.
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