South African Theater Company to Perform "Mine Ghosts"

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The UB Center for the Arts will present the Eager Artists Theatre Company of Durban, South Africa, in "Mine Ghosts" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The performance is made possible, in part, through the support of the Western New York delegation to the New York State Assembly.

The Eager Artists Company participated in last fall's "The Living Room Project," a unique performing-arts collaboration. Based on intimate community engagements in Buffalo Eager Artists and its audiences shared a performance and informal meal together in the home of each community "host." The purpose of the outreach project was to facilitate an understanding of the artists, via passionate exploration of their culture through their art for the benefit of audience participants and to reach new audiences for the performing arts and the UB Center for the Arts.

Due to the success of "The Living Room Project," the center was able to offer a second residency to the company. Eager Artists also will work with the Irish Classical Theatre Company and Arts in Education Institute of Western New York.

"Mine Ghosts," written and directed by Jerry Pooe, tells the story of an old man haunted by his memories of the life he lived working in the mines of South Africa. The mine he worked in is about to be closed and the old man is determined not to leave. He has taken refuge in the mine, which is believed to be haunted with ghosts. Together the old man and ghosts share the stories of their lives through music and dance, "re-living" the good old days of their youth.

The Eager Artists company performs "Mine Ghosts" through a cappella music and more than 20 gumboot dance routines with a mixture of vibrant cultural dances.

The production will also feature students from the University at Buffalo's Department of Theatre & Dance.

Eager Artists was founded in 1995 by director/playwright Jerry Pooe and offers authentic performances, classes and workshops in South African music, dance and theater, and emphasizes the consequences of South Africa's Apartheid era. Many of Eager Artists' works are educationally oriented on topics such as AIDS, general health, life skills and peace.

The company will be in residence in the Center for the Arts through Nov. 24. The residency will consist of dance and acting outreach activities for schools in the Western New York area, as well as master classes for UB's Department of Theatre and Dance.

For more information regarding the residency, call Rob Falgiano at 645-6921.

Tickets for "Mine Ghosts" are $10 for the general public and $8 for UB students. Tickets are available from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center Box Office and at all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS or visit the Web site at http://www.arts.buffalo.edu. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location.