Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2000)
_______ 9_ WedNEsdAy, ApRiL 5, 2000 TI he ClAckAMAS P rint Skulls inspires massive headache ANGIE DASCHEL A&E Editor It’s pretty difficult for a commu nity college student to feel sorry for sheltered Ivy League rich boys whose biggest problem is decid ing which convertible to drive ev ery day. It’s also hard to swallow the thinly developed plot of The Skulls, a movie that tries to be suspenseful but falls as flat as the “acting” presented by the WB-in- fused cast. Here’s what is supposed to be so scary: every year, a secret soci ety dubbed the Skulls chooses a few college pretty boys to become members in their elite group. Joshua Jackson of Dawson’s Creek plays Luke McNamara, a local poor boy who is chosen by the Skulls for some reason that is never made clear. Also hand picked is Caleb Mandrake, (Paul Walker, Varsity Blues) the manda tory big man on campus who be comes Luke’s so-called “soulmate.” Luke and Caleb are expected to be each other’s best friend, while also finding out dirty little secrets that can be used against each other in the future. What is that you say? This movie doesn’t sound scary? You just saved yourself some money with that little revelation, but there’s more to this “plot.” Soon Luke and Caleb are drenched with money, serious money, as well as sweet cars and models. Every thing is taken care of for poor boy Luke, including his massive col lege debt and early acceptance to law school. After a while, Luke wants to get out of the group be cause of it’s secrecy, butthat ain’t gonna happen because you’re not in Dawson's Creek anymore, Dorothy. While all this “drama” and “in trigue” ensued, all this community college student could think was “Where is the dotted line and the pen, because I want in NOW.” The only down side to the Skulls is that they bug your apartment, watch everything you do, and sometimes cover up little accidental murders that happen to involve members. Hey, that description isn’t too far away from our government, except they don’t give models and cars and major money to poor college students. Suspense is a foreign concept to this film and predictability is a constant. The audience is always a step ahead of every plot “twist” and Luke is never believed to be in any real danger. The viewers don’t really care what happens to PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Ivy League-ers discover a world of secrecy in The Skulls. the dumb Ivy League boys, who couldn’t find their way home with out leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind them. Besides, the group’s name is the Skulls, for crying out loud. Shouldn’t that be some in dication that this group isn’t a bunch of boy scouts who help little old ladies across the street? So if you’re panting over Joshua Jackson, The Skulls will fulfill your needs, but a better bet would be Cruel Intentions, in which he por trays a gay drug dealer. He only has about five minutes onscreen in Cruel Intentions, but that more than makes up for the sad, pitiful waste of money that is The Skulls. Chasing the American dream in El Paso Blue ANGIE DASCHEL A&E Editor Up get things mixed sometimes. The above sentence may seem confusing at first glance. Somehow, if you stare at the sentence long enough, the message comes out as ‘sometimes things get mixed up,’ and the same is true for El Paso Blue, a play written by Octavio Solis. This powerful play unfolds its complex story in a setting that alternates be tween present time and a series of flashbacks, which can be puzzling at first, but ultimately satisfying. EZ Paso Blue tells the story of a Mexican family trying desperately to have a chance at the American educati 6 n . dream, which turns out to be a sham. The play starts out with an explosive musical number by Kellie Johnson, who plays Sylvie, a former pageant princess from Dal las with a drinking problem. She is married to Al, a young man who is trying to get his life on track. Al should have tried a little harder, be cause in walks his loony friend Duane, who coaxes him to take the rap for a robbery. Al grudgingly visits his estranged father Marcello to ask him to let Sylvie stay with him until he is free. Sylvie, a woman who is perpetu ally drunk, walks into Marcello’s house and they immediately dislike each other. Within days however, feb. n V m a the blond princess from Dallas and the hard working man from Mexico fall in love. To say it simply, El Paso Blue rocked, and it wasn’t just the songs; the depth that the actors brought to the characters was astounding. Every ounce of energy was pouring out of these people into the play and into the development of the charac ters. The actors'comic timing rivaled that in Hollywood, while the physi cality of the play never seemed forced or staged. Nothing about this play is con ventional. There is hardly any set, no costume changes, and there are at least three songs. This play is about pure emotion, and an intricate set and fancy costumes would have taken away from the action of the play. Johnson uses her voice as a character of its own, and boy, this girl has got some lungs. When she opened her mouth to sing, every person in the room was focused on the notes falling from her lips and nothing else mattered. If at first you are confused with the structure of El Paso Blue, stay with it. All at once, the whole play fits together in a wonderful combi nation of song, dance and emotion that leaves you awestruck. El Paso Blue is playing at Miracle Theatre, 525 Stark St. in Portland. For reservations and showtimes, call 236-7253. Actors tackle Shakespeare The setting in Shakespeare’s plays, or any play in general, is up to the director and the cast, Are you itchin’ for a dose of said Smith-English. “Some people set this play Shakespeare but can’t make it to Ashland this year? Look no fur during the Civil War or Nazi Ger ther, because Clackamas’ Theatre many, but that’s not much of a Department has chosen the comedy to me,” commented Bard’s famous comedy As You Smith-English. This production weighs in with Like It as their spring play. Rehearsals began last week, a whopping 19 cast members; in and director David Smith-English addition, some are playing two is excited to dive into the chal roles. As You Likte It is the final show for several actors, but the lenge of Shakespeare. “I love Shakespeare,” said play will also introduce some new Smith-English. “I love to make it faces to the Theatre Department. The large cast will also be do clear to people.” Written around 1600, As You ing a great deal of singing and Like It tells the comedic love dancing, according to Smith-En story of Rosalind and Orlando, a glish. Wes Hanson is providing pair who must overcome their the choreography of the comedy surroundings, as many of and Mike Van Liew is composing the original music score. Van Shakespeare’s lovers do. “[As You Like It} is a great situ Liew’s music was showcased in ation about power,” said Smith- last year’s production of the English. Clackamas’ production Imaginary Invalid. As You Like It will run May 18- is set in 1815, almost two centu ries after the play was written. 21 and 31, and June 1 -4. ANGIE DASCHEL A&E Editor fOCUS ON TOOK • Concordia is an accredited University recognized for quality • Personal attention is given to make transfer as easy as possible • Most majors include mentors and internships • Merit scholarships and financial aid are available • Day and evening classes • Graduate with a resume as well as a degree oomE0’ « POETRY READING viw«cu-ï>ortl.anâ.«eâu aamissionsOcu-portlana.eau Bruce Smith Monday, April 10 12 p.m. in the Gregory Forum Free and open to the public
