Author Salman Rushdie, victim of a religious bounty placed on his life after the publishing of "The Satanic Verses," will discuss the theatrical version of his children's story, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Nov. 18. The special event to be held at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Stage is free.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Rushdie's first book to follow "The Satanic Verses," was adapted by Tim Supple and David Tushingham. Dominique Serrand of Theatre de la Jeune Lune directs this story of a young boy and his father, a famous storyteller who has lost his ability to tell tales, and their journey to earth's second moon in order to foil evil cult master Khattam-Shud's plan to dam the Ocean of the Streams of Story. Haroun plays Berkeley Rep Nov. 15-Jan. 7, 2003.

The American premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company stage production of the Salman Rushdie novel, "Midnight's Children," will play The Power Center in Ann Arbor, MI Arbor and the Apollo Theatre in New York City in March 2003. Rushdie's award-winning allegory of modern India gets a London staging in January 2003.

For further information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit Berkeley Repertory Theatre at http://www.berkeleyrep.org.

— By Christine Ehren