For Immediate Release								
May 13, 1996
 
Artists and Their Choices Examined in Lawrence Theatre Production of "Beholder"
 
 
	APPLETON, WIS. - A rare production of Ken Prestininzy's historical
romance drama, "Beholder," based on the lives of several aspiring young artists
living in Germany at the turn of the century, comes to the Lawrence University
stage with three performances May 23-25.  The play will be performed in the
Cloak Theatre in the Music-Drama Center.  Each performance begins at 8 p.m.
	Described as "an impressionistic painting on the stage," the play takes
a soft and evocative look at the choices young artists face in deciding where
they need to live - big cities such as Paris or small, safe towns - to be
considered "true" artists.  Set in the early 1900s in Worpswede, Germany, an
artist colony that produced several significant painters, "Beholder" follows the
relationship between two real artists - poet Rainer Rilke and impressionist
painter Paula Modersohn-Becker - and the career choices each makes.
	Timothy X. Troy, a freelance director of operas and plays in Milwaukee,
Madison and Chicago who is his spending the spring academic term as a guest
artist at Lawrence, directs the production.  Troy, a 1985 Lawrence graduate, was
a member of the Lawrence theatre department faculty from 1989-92. 
	Lawrence's production is only the third time "Beholder" has been
performed.  It was originally staged at the Iowa Playwright's Workshop in 1988
and then was performed again several years ago in Prestininzy's hometown of San
Francisco. 
	Tickets for "Beholder" are $8 for adults, $4 for students and are
available at the Lawrence box office.  For additional ticket information, call
414/832-6749.


Contact:  Rick Peterson, Manager of News Services, 414/832-6590