This spirited play by Nerina Cocchi '10 is an adaptation from Alessandro Baricco's monologue into a five-actor play about Danny Boodman T.D. Lemon Novecento, a genius jazz pianist born in 1900 aboard the oceanliner "Virginian." Senior work of Nerina Cocchi '10 (directing) and intermediate work of Heather Pynne '11 (light design).

Wednesday-Saturday, November 18-21, at 8:00 P.M. each evening, on the Wright Theatre Stage. Free

Directed by Steven Klimowski, the VCME is dedicated to performing and commissioning today's music. Their concert program features the premiere of a piece by Peter Hamlin '73, chair of the Department of Music. This piece is based upon a series of photographs by his wife, Chris Robbins.

Monday, November 16, at 8:00 P.M., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall. Free

Professional sleight-of-hand artist, magician, performance artist, and expert on perception Mark Mitton gives a lecture-demonstration and Q&A. He is fascinated by using magic and art as a way to better understand how we all see the world.

Monday, November 16, at 4:30 P.M., in the Johnson Building, Room 304. Free

The Arts at Middlebury are buzzing this week: almost 20 events this week alone! Mark your calendars for a week of arts events with everything from romantic comedy to the classical splendor of Bach and Mendelsohn, from the Middlebury landscape to Iraq and back again.

Steven Klimowski, director

The Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble is dedicated to performing and commissioning today's music. Their concert program features the premiere of a piece by Peter Hamlin '73, chair of the Department of Music, based upon a series of photographs by his wife, Chris Robbins.

Monday, November 16, at 8:00 P.M., in the Mahaney CFA, Concert Hall. Free

Concert by Middlebury College student instrumentalists.

Sunday, November 15, at 3:00 P.M., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall. Free

Jeffrey Buettner and Jessica Allen, conductors

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Felix Mendelssohn, the College Choir and Women's Glee Club sing selections from A Midsummer Night's Dream and other works by Mendelssohn. They are accompanied by Middlebury College instrumentalists. Sacred and secular part songs complete a program of classics revisited.

Saturday, November 14, at 8:00 P.M., in the Mahaney CFA, Concert Hall. Tickets: $10/8/6, 802.443.MIDD (6433) or http://go.middlebury.edu/tix.

At the height of his fame and power, Che resigns from his government post in Cuba and disappears into the jungles of Bolivia. He recruits an army of guerilla fighters and sets out to spark revolutions throughout Latin America. Written by Benjamin A. van der Veen and Peter Buchman, director Steven Soderbergh's second film installment is also known as Guerilla. "Che is Soderbergh's most interesting film in years, defiantly eccentric and absorbing"-Chicago Tribune.

Saturday, November 14, at 3:00 and 8:00 P.M., in Dana Auditorium. Free

Play by Heather Raffo; senior acting work of Lili Weckler '10. "God created desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one to men"-Ali b. Abi Talib, fourth caliph after Muhammad. 9 Parts of Desire is a one-woman show based upon the experiences of the play's American-born, half-Iraqi author who traveled to Iraq in 1993.

Thursday-Saturday, November 12-14, at 8:00 P.M. each evening, plus 11:00 P.M. on Friday only, in the Hepburn Zoo. Tickets: $4; 802.443.MIDD (6433) or http://go.middlebury.edu/tix.

Highly acclaimed violinist and rising star, Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova wil play a virtuosic concert of unaccompanied Bach: the second partita-including the Chaconne-as well as the third partita and Bach's first two sonatas.

Thursday, November 12, at  7:30 P.M., in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall. Tickets: $24/28/6. 802.443.MIDD (6433) or http://go.middlebury.edu/tix.