US premiere of Peter Brook's 'Tierno Boker', at Columbia University

Columbia University announced today that its newly formed University Arts Initiative has established an on-campus residency for renowned director Peter Brook and his international theater company. During the month-long stay, Brook will mount the U.S. premiere of Tierno Bokar, a theatrical exploration of the power of tolerance.

Tierno Bokar will play at Bernard College from the 30 Mar - 6 Apr 2005. To house the productions, Barnard College will transform its LeFrak Gymnasium into a 500-seat theater.

Tierno Bokar, named for a Sufi mystic embroiled in a dispute between rival religious factions in 1930s French-ruled Africa, is a co-production of Brook's International Center of Theatre Creation (CICT) and Th��tre des Bouffes du Nord. The work was adapted by Marie-H�l�ne Estienne from the great West African writer Amadou Hampat� B�'s 'Life and Teaching of Tierno Bokar, the Sage of Bandiagara'.

The piece will be performed in French, with supertitles, and features music by Toshi Tsuchitori and Antonin Stahly and lighting design by Phillipe Vialatte. The production recently played at Bouffes du Nord in Paris and is currently touring Europe.

Members of the theater company hail from eight countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Mali and Vietnam. Sotigui Kouyat�, who appeared in Brook's Mahabharata, The Tempest and other productions, plays Tierno Bokar.

Joining Sotigui Kouyat� in the cast are Habib Dembele, Rachid Dja�dani, Djeneba Kone, Sotigui Kouyate, Tony Mpoudja, Bruce Myers, Abdou Ouologuem, Helene Patarot, Dorcy Rugamba and Pitcho Womba Konga

"At the heart of Tierno Bokar is a plea for mutual tolerance and understanding," said Judith Shapiro, president of Barnard College. "We are fortunate to present this production on our campus and expect it will offer our students, our faculty and all New Yorkers an intense and absorbing exploration of culture, art and politics."

Voza Rivers, chairman of the Harlem Arts Alliance, said, "Peter Brook is a master theater craftsman. His productions are thought provoking, powerful and scholarly. The Alliance is pleased that Columbia has invited us to collaborate on bringing Tierno Bokar, an African story, to Harlem's diverse residents, cultural and religious institutions, and artists."