Rudi Stern, lighting artist who has worked with the likes of Timothy Leary, The Doors, Igor Stravinsky and Joseph Chaikin, will open his first theatrical venture in thirty years Dec. 12 at New York City's Flea Theatre. Theatre of Light began performances Dec. 9 for a run through Jan. 7, 2000.

Theater of Light utilizes hand-painted 2" by 2" glass slides projected on to multiple screens to the music of Peter Gabriel, Enya, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Ali Farka Toure, Donovan and others. A work of detail (one seven-minute piece requires some 1,500 projection cues), Theater of Light uses no computer-generated imaging in the 72 minute piece, something of which Stern is proud.

In a released statement, Stern described the piece as "painting with light. Light here is not a backdrop. It is the performance."

Tickets are $25 and can be reserved by calling Ticketweb (800) 965-4827. The Flea Theatre is located at 41 White St.

-- By Christine Ehren