Art Bar

A ballsy show: There is a raunchy sexual subtext in the performance of pinball machine-playing, but the experts of cultural ephemera at Eastern University believe the game has other “seedy roots” that make it an appealing exhibition: It was originally intended as a high-octane diversion from the doldrums in the bars and pool halls of the Great Depression era. Pinball is an exhibition of original machines, back glasses, and other artifacts from the collection of David F. Silverman, co-curated by Silverman and Richard Rubenfeld, Professor of Art at Eastern University. The opening reception is 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Ford Gallery, with a lecture by Silverman at 6 p.m. that night at 107 Ford Hall, on the campus of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. The show runs until Feb. 25, and then travels to Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti, where it remains through March 29. Call 734-487-1268.

 

Shakespeare’s dames: A critic in the New York Post recently noted that actress Susannah York is “best known for her mesmerizing turn as a schizophrenic in the film Images,” but it’s hard to forget her in the role opposite the kingly George C. Scott as governess Jane Eyre, a complex character whose refined will won her the heart of her thick-chested master. York is haunting as a woman in love. The Loves of Shakespeare’s Women, a one-woman show of monologues written and performed by York, and inspired by John Gielgud’s The Ages of Man, has won powerful praise. Gordon Cox, theater critic at Newsday, states that the show offers a rare opportunity “to observe at close range some impeccably grand Acting with a capital A.” The show is 8 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 1 and 2 at The Ark, 316 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $20 at theark.org.

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