A House in Bali

An advantage of living in Berkeley is that we have the opportunity of seeing mind expanding, beyond the cutting edge, productions that would be rare elsewhere. "A House in Bali" is a perfect example. I do not know whether to call it a play, a musical. a two act opera, a ballet, or a combination of all four. It is a story of East/West cultural contact and misunderstanding that takes place in Bali in the 1930s loosely based on actual history. The performers include a western orchestra (the Bang on a Can All Stars), a gamelan orchestra (Gamelan Salukat), western singers, and Balinese singers and dancers. It was written by an MIT professor who also conducts the Bang on a Can All Stars. A member of the Scripps faculty plays Margaret Mead, a soprano.

Well, our minds have been stretched and we are still wondering what to make of it.