Wrong side of the curtain

Mikhail Bulgakov had a very interesting — and lucky — relationship with Joseph Stalin. The playwright wrote about freedom and brutal truth, which, as history tells us, wasn't a smart thing to do on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, yet Stalin left him free and alive. Stalin actually liked his writing, he even found him work when he was down and out. Collaborators, a new play by John Hodge that will screen at the Michigan Theater on Sunday, January 8 live from London as part of the NT Live Series, revolves around a fictional meeting between Stalin and Bulgakov; one that, as you would expect, is a battle of wits and convictions. 4pm. $22, $12 students. 603 East Liberty St. 734-668-8463. www.ums.org

Scott Recker

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