Baltimore, MD -- Xerxes Mehta, Professor of Theatre and Artistic Director of the Maryland Stage Company, the professional theatre company in residence at UMBC, has been elected president of The International Samuel Beckett Society.

An international organization of scholars, directors, actors, writers and performers, The Samuel Beckett Society meets annually during the Modern Languages Association's meeting and produces The Beckett Circle, the biannual newsletter of the circle. Actively maintaining Beckett's legacy through his plays and writings, the Society is organizing a symposium this coming year entitled Beckett in Berlin 2000. Mehta was instrumental in the organization and development of the event, by "envisioning the stirring potential of this time and place for a reassessment of Beckett in performance."

During the week long event, The Beckett Theatre Festival will begin on September 20, 2000 and is scheduled to include the talents of The Maryland Stage Company as well as other internationally acclaimed theatre companies and performers. In addition to performances, there will be numerous events such as lectures, round table discussions and tours of Beckett's museum haunts including the Gemäldegalerie at the Kultureforum and the Caspar David Friedrichs at Charlottenberg.