National Theatre Live: Nation February 7, 2010

National Theatre Live: High-definition broadcasts by London's National Theatre, presented in partnership with UMS and the Michigan Theater. Nation is based on a novel by Terry Pratchett and
adapted to the stage by Mark Ravenhill. A parallel world, 1860. Two teenagers thrown together by a tsunami that has destroyed Mau’s village and left Daphne shipwrecked on his South Pacific island, thousands of miles from home. One wears next to nothing, the other a long white dress; neither speaks the other’s language; somehow they must learn to survive. As starving refugees gather, Daphne delivers a baby, milks a pig, brews beer, and does battle with a mutineer. Mau fights cannibal raiders, discovers the world is round, and questions the reality of his tribe’s fiercely patriarchal gods. Together they come of age, overseen by a foul-mouthed parrot, as they discard old doctrine to forge a new Nation.

UMS and the Michigan Theater are joining forces to bring three high definition screenings of live theater broadcasts by the National Theatre, London. NT Live broadcasts performances of plays produced by the National Theatre in London onto cinema screens worldwide. In the US, these screenings are delayed
broadcasts to accommodate the time difference. Broadcasts will also feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with actors.