In the course of its 75-year history, the Bulgarian Macedonian National and Educational Cultural Center has done much to advance the cause of Eastern European immigrants in Pittsburgh.

		'Arms and the Man' Where: Charity Randall Theatre at Stephen Foster Memorial When: Through Nov. 21. Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Tickets: $10-$19; 412-624-7529

In the early days, the organization helped hundreds of families adjust to life in a new country, and in recent decades, it's worked to preserve and promote the cultural heritage among descendants of those first immigrants.

These days, the center and its members have taken on a new role -- as dramaturg to the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre and its production of "Arms and the Man," George Bernard Shaw's comedy of heroism, courtship and confused idealism set in Bulgaria.

"This is our first collaboration on a play," said Patricia Jordanoff French, president of the organization. "We're thrilled about it."

In June, French took a call from Pitt director W. Stephen Coleman, who wanted to authenticate the set, costumes and music for the play, which typically has an English drawing room or Anglicized feel to it. Coleman hadn't planned on designing the show in addition to directing it, and he was nervous at the prospect.

"I'm a director and an actor and a professor," Coleman said. "I thought, 'What ... am I going to do now?' I was terrified."

A colleague put him in touch with French.

"He called me and I said, 'Sure, come on down and we'll see what we can do,' " said French, who is used to fielding calls from scholars.

What Coleman quickly came to learn is that just a few miles from campus, tucked away in a corner of tiny West Homestead, sits perhaps the nation's most extensive collection of resources about Bulgaria.

In addition to a museum, the center houses an extensive library with music, films and books, as well as a collection of artifacts handed down by generations of local families.

"I never knew it existed," said Coleman. "It was an amazing stroke of luck."

When Coleman arrived, French and Walter Kolar, the center's executive director, were armed with dozens of books, pamphlets, postcards and other materials to get him started.

"I couldn't believe it," Coleman said. "They said, 'Start to think about what you need, and if we have it we'll loan it to you.' "

As production moved forward, Coleman found the resources at the center to be invaluable: pictures of a village called Koprivshtitsa served as inspiration for the set design, and in the music collection, he found songs for the show. The center loaned the theater rugs, pictures, bed coverings, plates and wall decorations for the set, as well as clothes to provide the patterns for the cast's costumes.

"It's little stuff, but it makes the difference," French said. "I think that's what people will see -- all those little touches that he put into the play. It's a really authentic set. I think the audiences will be surprised."

The collaboration between the theater and the center has also drawn wider interest and has been beneficial to both, according to those involved.

Elena Poptodorova, the Bulgarian ambassador the United States, is coming to Pittsburgh to see the play. She will lecture today to Pitt's European Studies students, attend the play on Saturday and be a guest at a Bulgarian Macedonian Center fund-raiser following the performance.

"Arms and the Man" is a romantic comedy that challenges the traditional concepts of love and war. In it, Captain Bluntschli startles young Raina when he climbs through her bedroom window to escape capture. She learns that this dashing Swiss soldier is fighting for the Serbian army -- the adversaries of her fiance.

The energetic and practical Bluntschli captivates Raina with his unusually pragmatic choice of carrying chocolates instead of cartridges, having no misconceptions about the stupidity of war or about the triumph of love.

Shaw's sharp comedy, as well as his famous philosophical turns, can be found in the household's comic efforts to keep secrets, impress others with their library or their new bell system, and maneuver themselves into the right pair of loving arms.

The ensemble cast features Elena Alexandratos as Catherine Petkoff, Marc Epstein as Major Petkoff, Alaina Salks as Raina and Benjmain Blazer as Bluntschli.