Page 6, Portland Observer, July 27, 1988
ENTERTAINMENT
BROADWAY
BOUND
Multi-Ethnic c Cultural Center
rom Here To L.A.
Squeeze From
REPORT
by Garland Lee Thompson
t was twenty-years ago, in the
summer of 1968, that I returned
to Portland for a short visit with
family and friends from Los Ange
les. I was working in L.A. as one
of three stage managers at the In
ner City Cultural Center (ICCC),
one of the first National Endow
ment for the Arts funded m ulti
ethnic theatre and dance com
panies. The founder of ICCC, C.
Bernard Jackson (winner of a
1961 Obie Award for Best Musical
for his play, “ Fly Blackbird, star
red Robert Guillaume, Micki
Grant and Mabel King), said re
cently, “ Ironically, in this new age
of so-called racial tolerance and
acceptance, ... a multi-ethnic arts
center is just as controversial in
1988 as it was in 1966 ... Although
the Center has gained the respect
of the Black, Asian, Hispanic and
White communities, it has not
been successful in motivating
these groups to emulate their
(ICCC’s) efforts ... People of color
will have to look at their com
monality of concern before any
real change is made in society.
The plans he then cited for the
future included refurbishing the
“ rapidly aging old building,"
situated at 1308 New Hampshire
Ave., in L.A., which I helped to
scout in 1969-70 with Production
Stage Manager, Hal DeWindt.
ICCC was looking to move from
the old Fox Movie Theatre on
Washington Blvd. and Vermont
Avenue to better quarters. I had
stage managed 11 stage produc
tions, a record at the Center while
working with a list of great artists
such as Paul Winfield, D'Urville
Martin, Margarite Ray, Isabel San
ford, Beah Richards, Glynn Tur
man, Carmen Zapata, and many
others who have passed through
the Center’s portals.
The ICCC, whose “ fruits" are
far too numerous to list, is con-
I
iHSl
•
AM T
of the guild's constitution that
keeps writers from resigning dur
ing a strike. Yes, things are get
ting “ hot!” A statement by the
eBarge Busted in drug sting:
splinter group said the action was
Johnathan "C hico” DeBarge,
intended to give notice to guild
22, and Robert “ Bobby" DeBarge,
leaders that if the strike had not
32, were indicted on charges that
ended in two weeks, some mem
they conspired to bring more than
bers would resign, thereby revert
two pounds of cocaine to Grand
ing to "fiscal core" status, which
Rapids, Michigan. Each faces a
would enable them to go back to
possible life prison term should
work. Fiscal core affiliates of a
they be Convicted on the conspi
union keep their pensions and
racy and trafficing charges.
health benefits but are not allow
Tisha Spurns Spike/No Love
ed to vote or hold office.
Lost: Spike Lee is being sued by
David Milch, the winner of two
School Daze co-star Tisha Camp
Emmys for “ Hill Street Blues,'
bell for the credit and funds she
said he had resisted joining the
didn’t receive from one of the
Splinter group until this week. He
cuts to the film ’s soundtrack, "Be
said that he still considered him
Mine Tonight." While neither
self "a good union member,” de
could be reached for comment,
scribe the group's complaint,
Lee is said to have met with
which he signed as "the prover
Campbell to resolve the matter.
bial shot across the bow.” Milch
Whoopi’s popularity paper-thin
said it would “ force our leader
in LA? Sales for a recent Whoopi
ship to recognize that our pa
Goldberg concert in Los Angeles
tience is not endless and to real
were so low that 600 tickets were
ize that at some point the game
given away to the Brotherhood
isn’t worth the candle." He said,
Crusade for distribution to vari
“ It seems to a growing group of
ous community groups to paper
us that the guild has abused its
the hall, for the first night of a
mandate.”
two-night stint. Either Whoopi has
Meanwhile, “ back at the ranch"
lost her popularity or her appeal
on the picket line the president of
to blacks, coupled with the fact
the guild, George Kirgo, said:
that they’re aren't enough whites
“ What the Fugitive 21 did yester
supporting her. Insiders says it’s
THE GREAT WRITERS’
day, a lot a people just abandon
a case of overexposure.
STRIKE OF 1988
ing us in the middle of a strike,
Casting is underway to fill the
My son, Garland Jr., who is cur
has further galvanized the unity of
void left by Lisa Bonet and Marisa
rently working (thank goodness)
this guild. The degree of anger is
Tomei. Tomei, who played “ Mag
on the crew of an HBO video film
just astonishing.” Yes, its getting
gie,” won't return to the series
in Hollywood, entitled, “ First and
“ hotter and hotter" this summer
this fall, due to its revamping. The
Ten,” called me this week to tell
of '88 in “ LA LA land!”
series will have more the look and
me of the growing "horror pains"
Although no formal negotia
feel of college/campus life. The
of the 9,000 member Writers’
tions are under way, Brian Wal
ch a ra cte rs of W h itle y and
Guild of America's strike, now in
ton, executive director of the
Dwayne (favorites among the
its awesome 20th week. Over the
guild and its chief negotiator, said
viewers)
will be beefed up. Bonet
last few weeks, film studios have
that he and his counterpart, Nico
will
return
to the series after she
cut hundreds of people from their
las J. Counter, the chief negotia
delivers
the
baby, and if the strike
payrolls. As the possibility of a
tor for the Alliance of Motion Pic
isn't
settled
soon, she won't miss
fall television season has reced
ture and Television Producers,
much
of
it.
For
the record, Cosby
ed, the networks have begun to
were still meeting. “ Send in the
denies that he was ever angry at
hire British and Canadian writers
Clowns!" And just how does this
Bonet for having gotten pregnant.
and to rework old television ser
all affect us “ poor TV viewers,”
Cosby was vacationing with his
ies like “ Mission Impossible.”
well, it’s more "re-run city on the
wife, Camille at their customary
More than 150 small production
old tube” this fall or a re-hash of
spot in the south of France. The
companies have signed interim
the
“
same
old
same
old
!”
Cosby’s were joined this summer,
contracts on the guild's terms.
by actress-dancer Debbie Allen
But the studios and networks are
refusing to buy scripts and pro
grams from the companies that
have signed.
Now, a dissident group of
Plans are underway for the 8th Annual Black
movie and television writers has
Colleges Conference which will be held October 22nd
given their union an ultimatum.
at the Memorial Coliseum from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Twenty-one members of a group
The conference will feature speakers and repre
calling itself the Writers Coalition
filed a complaint with the Na
sentatives from many historically Black Colleges.
tional Labor Relation Board on
Workshops on many topics including financial aid,
Thursday, July 14, 1988, asking
tips for test taking, and careers of the future will also
the board to invalidate a portion
sidered to be one of L.A.’s major
multi-cultural art institutions, but,
as such, has recently suffered
significant funding cuts from a
$1.8 million Federal grant it re
ceived during the three year
period that I worked there. "L.A.’s
multi-cultural artists have felt the
Reaganomic squeeze perhaps
even more seriously than their
m ain-stream -cultural c o u n te r
parts.
The interesting thing we must
learn from this "L.A. experience”
is in viewing a possible parallel
between our City of Portland s
firehouse multi-ethnic center, the
Interstate Firehouse Cultural
Center, now in its fifth season of
production (under Executive Di
rector, Sue Busby), and C. Ber
nard Jackson’s ICCC in L.A. town.
Both California and Oregon, un
like the big New York State Coun
cil on the Arts, have very poor
funding budgets to assist such
Centers as the ICCC and IFCC.
Without the City and Federal sup
port for IFCC, it simply would not
exist and that’s the cold hard fact
and “ Reality Rag" of it all. We
must support and keep these im
portant not-for-profit multi-ethnic
theatre centers alive no matter
whose in the White House.
fa &
—
by Lisa Collins
S O M M IN
D
ment. Day’s other acting plans in
clude a movie featuring members
of the "The Time,” once he s
done touring. And while Morris
Day is switching gears. Klymaxx is
said to be trying to switch courses.
The group reportedly wants out of
its Solar contract to go to MCA.
Rick James has just released
his first album in two years —
“ Wonderful.” James has been liv
ing in near seclusion in his native
Buffalo, and was reported to have
kicked a drug problem and be
come a born again Christian.
However, James insists that he is
still “ just Rick.” Meanwhile pro
duction on Eddie Murphy’s upcom
ing LP has been delayed due to an
injury Murphy sustained to his
jaw. Brenda will have to face the
music: A court date has been set
for a preliminary hearing for
Brenda Richie. While 22-year
Diane Alexander, the woman
Richie assaulted, said she would
not press charges, the Beverly
Hills City Attorney’s office didn't
make any such promise and from
all indications is going to pro
secute the case. Reports now sur
facing indicate that the couple
was living apart before last
month's incident.
and hubby Norm Nixon. Allen had
been performing in France. And in
the event you didn't know it. Deb
bie Allen signs too. In fact, an
album is slated to be realesed by
MCA this fall.
Malcom Jamal Warner is upset
about the response his latest role
is having on Cosby fans. The furor
is being caused from Warner's
involvement in the stage play,
“ Three Ways Home." In it, he por
trays a streetwise and suicidal
male prostitute. Seems Cosby
fans take a dim view of what their
Theo Huxtable is up to during the
show's hiatus. Some unknowing
parents drag their kids out in the
middle of the show. Switching
Gears: Morris Day makes his act
ing debut, as a record company
executive, in a pilot titled “ Heart
& Soul,” to air this week on NBC
directly after the Cosby show.
Day is reportedly trying to switch
gears into the acting arena. The
pilot is by Castle Rock, Rob Rei
ner’s production company, is a
possible mid-season replace-
Lisa C ollins is a freelance w rite r, based in
Los Angeles, C a lifornia. She has a u thored
over 200 a rtic le s on a variety o f issu e s fo r a
n u m b e r o f na tio na l p u b lic a tio n s fro m Es
sence to D esign M agazines. Her b a ck
g ro u n d in th e fie ld o f e n te rta in m e n t re p o rt
ing is extensive, fe a tu rin g co ve r sto rie s
and in te rvie w s w ith th e likes o f Richard
Pryor, M ichael Jackson, and Prince. A t pre
sent, M iss C o llin s serves as s e n io r e d ito r
o f R adioFax and KACE M agazines, and
serves as e d ito r-p ro d u ce r o f a n a tio na lly
syn d ic a te d radio show, title d Inside Gospel,
b ro a d ca st d a ily in over 55 m arke ts across
th e c o u n try. A second show , The Bottom
Line, fe a turin g b la ck b u sin e ss news, tip s,
and s u cce ss s to rie s, is due to a ir la te r th is
Lisa Collins
year.
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Information regarding the conference may be
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