Copeland to lecture on Taymor's odyssey

Professor of Theater and Dance Roger Copeland will deliver his insightful lecture "From Indonesia to The Lion King: Julie Taymor's Odyssey." This lecture, originally given in conjunction with the Wexner Center for the Arts current Taymor exhibition, will be illustrated with video clips from her productions of .The Lion King, Juan Darien, Oedipus Rex, The Tempest and Fool's Fire. Two weeks ago, the Review had this to say about Taymor's work: "The viewer comes away with a sense of Taymor's magnificent determination. From the beginning, with Taymor's earliest productions in Indonesia and Bali...her aesthetic eye is amazingly well honed."

Oberlin College alumna Julie Taymor is best known for her Broadway adaptation of Disney's The Lion King. But long before she ventured into the commercial theater, Taymor was one of this country's leading avant-garde theater directors. Taymor is especially renowned for the way she draws upon and synthesizes a remarkable array of theatrical conventions from all over the world: Javanese shadow puppetry, Japanese Bunraku, Brazilian carnival masks and the choreographic influence of Butoh. But unlike so many contemporary artists who mindlessly mix multi-cultural conventions into a fashionable, albeit undifferentiated stew, Taymor explores the deep cultural context of her sources and then synthesizes them into something utterly distinctive. Copeland's lecture, an audience favorite at the Wexner, plans to be stimulating and engrossing.

Roger Copeland's lecture "From Indonesia to The Lion King: Julie Taymor's Odyssey" will be presented Thursday, November 18 in King 306 at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.