Two theatrical performances and a film series will highlight a conference and arts festival titled “Shylock: A Heritage of Hate” from Feb. 22 to 25 (Wednesday to Saturday) at the University of Notre Dame.

Presented by Notre Dame’sMarieP.DeBartoloCenterfor the Performing Arts, the Spring ArtsFest will focus on the character Shylock, the Jewish money lender in William Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” to examine the persistence and effects of anti-Semitism in society.

A panel discussion titled “Engaging the Merchant of Venice: Academic Freedom and Anti-Semitism” will be held Feb. 21 (Tuesday) at 5 p.m. in the Philbin Studio Theatre. The Nanovic Fellows Forum will feature panelists Peter Holland, Gareth Armstrong, Henry Weinfield, Jesse Lander and Michael Zuckert and will be chaired by Graham Hammill.

• International touring theater troupe Actors From The London Stage will present “The Merchant of Venice” Feb. 22, 24 and 25 (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) in the Decio Mainstage Theatre of the performing arts center.

p. Based at Notre Dame, Actors From The London Stage has called the University its American home since 2000, when it relocated from theUniversityofNorth Carolina. Its members hail from such prestigious theater companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

The troupe’s residency is sponsored by a grant from the Henkels Lecture Series with support from Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television and Theatre, Office of the Provost, Department of English,CollegeofArtsand Letters Shakespeare Initiative, and the performing arts center.

• The one-man play “Shylock” will be presented in two performances Feb. 23 and 25 (Thursday and Saturday). Written and performed by Gareth Armstrong of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the play uses the main character to examine anti-Semitism in Shakespeare’s day and in more recent times.

• A number of films will be shown in the Browning Cinema from Feb. 22 to 24 (Thursday to Saturday), including Joseph Vilsmaier’s “The Harmonists,” Hugh Hudson’s “Chariots of Fire,” Marc Levin’s “Protocols of Zion,” Elia Kazan’s “Gentleman’s Agreement,” Aviva Kempner’s “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg,” Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” and Barry Levinson’s “Liberty Heights.”

A complete schedule of events and ticket information are available at the center ticket office or by calling 574-631-2800 or visiting on the Web. **

* Contact: * _Laura Moran, performing arts center, 574-631-2731, lmoran@nd.edu _

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The University of Notre Dame and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra Association are embarking on a cooperative partnership designed to improve the quality of and access to the arts in the community.

Beginning this fall, the Symphonys June H. Edwards Chamber Music Series will make its permanent home in the Leighton Concert Hall of Notre Dames newMarieP.DeBartoloCenterfor the Performing Arts. The University also will fund an annual performing artist, who will be chosen from among the very best of the worlds classical music talent to perform with the Symphony inSouth Bend. Notre Dame also will inaugurate a new residency series that will support the Performing Arts Guest Artist Residencies, the Symphonys established program of educational outreach to the community.

The Universitys commitment to the arts is embodied not only in our new and nationally celebratedDeBartoloPerformingArtsCenter, but also – and equally – in our dedication to the vitality of our local arts organizations,said John Haynes, the Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director for the Performing Arts at Notre Dame.Notre Dame Performing Arts and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra share a passionate commitment to access and excellence, and we know that we can accomplish more working together than we could separately.

The first musician to be part of the guest artist residency series will be internationally acclaimed pianist Leon Bates, who will be in residence at Notre Dame during the first week of October.

* Contact: * _Laura Moran,DeBartoloPerformingArtsCenter,574-631-2731, lmoran@nd.edu ; Denise Borton,South BendSymphony,574-232-6343, marketing@southbendsymphony.com _

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