Center Stage
Brentano String Quartet with Mark Strand, February 22. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mark Strand, the Andrew MacLeish distinguished service professor in Social Thought, will accompany the Brentano Quartet as they perform Hadyn's The Seven Last Words of Christ. Strand will read his original text, drawn from the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. The University of Chicago Presents; call 773/702-8068.

A Well-Fashioned Image: Clothing and Costume in European Art, 1500-1850, through April 28. With art from the Renaissance to the mid-19th century, this exhibit explores the role of costume in fashioning and advertising the social order. The materials include costume books, portraits of nobles and clergy, and images of foreign peoples in traditional garb. Smart Museum; call 773/702-0200.

Rare Race Films, through March 3. Sundays this winter, Doc Films presents a series of rare race films, independent productions made before 1950 by and for African Americans. The film series is being held in conjunction with the graduate seminar A Separate Cinema? Race Films in Context, taught by Jacqueline Stewart, AM'93, PhD'99, assistant professor in English language & literature, cinema & media studies, and African & African-American studies. Doc Films; call 773/702-8575.

Cleopatra Goes to Hollywood, through March 3. In conjunction with the Field Museum exhibition Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth, the Oriental Institute examines the Egyptian queen as a Hollywood star. Screenings include Cecil B. DeMille's Cleopatra and Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. Each showing is followed by a three-part seminar series. Oriental Institute; call 773/702-1062.

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