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N o v e m b e r 10, 1988, P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r, P a g e 5
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ENTERTAINMENT
XT*************
Y * * * xtxxtxxt
AFSC To Hold
Fundraising Art
Exhibition
BOUND
ideiduidií
by Garland Lee Thompson
“ ZOOMAN” IS B A D ......
“ ZOOMAN” IS BAD!
"Zooman” says, “ I carry a gun
and a knife. A gun in this poc
ke t— and ole’ MAGIC in this
one!” Yes, “ Zooman is bad!” It
was “ bad” when I saw the original
N egro E n sem b le C om pany
production at the Theatre Four in
New York (1980). Why not, it’s a
Charles Fuller play, who later won
a Pulitzer Prize for “ A Soldier’s
Play,” also at NEC. Fuller is a
founding member of the Frank
Silvera Writers’ Workshop in New
York.
"Zooman and the Sign,” was
one of the hits of the 1980 season
for NEC, under Artistic Director
and co-founder, Douglas Turner
Ward.
"Zooman,” this “ Slow Dance
on the Killing Ground-type char
acter” , played here at the Winn-
ingstad Theatre (PCPA) by young
actor, Brian Dance, has “a dream
entrance.” An actor’s delight. He
climbs down a metal ladder onto
stage and the neat set (by Jeff
Seats) in the currently running
production of the Storefront
Theatre (Oct. 29th - Nov. 30th).
Rick Jones, who appeared in the
Brian Dance
As “ Zooman”
New Freedom Theatre’s produc
tion of "Zooman,” in Philadelphia,
a few years back, directed this
Portland premiere. "The spider-
man dance” by Dance; the young
Black actor, a long and lean dude,
is “ Write on!”
WITH HIS SWITCHBLADE AND GUN
At one point "Zooman,” ap
peared out of the dark (lighting by
Jeff Forbes, costumes by Palette,
Colleen Frederick and Charlie
Harakawa). He was sitting right
next to me in the house, “ running
a long rap” about “ holding up” in a
porno moviehouse, when the po
lice arrived (sound design by Bill
Reinhardt).
The Black family of an ex-boxer;
(played strongly by Anthony P.
Armstrong), his wife (Wanda
Walden), his uncle (Al Jamison),
his son (Eugene Hughes Jr.) and a
cousin (Brenda Phillips), suffer the
outrage of their twelve year old
daughter accidentally being killed
by a stray bullet in a teenager gang
fight in Philly. Does this sound
familar right here in "River City?”
“Zooman” did it and the father put
a sign on the front of the house.
“ The sign" indicts the entire block
and community for not coming for
ward to catch “ the killer.” “Zoo
man” knows it's just a matter of
time before “ the Big Blues” will
get him and the audience is "suck
ed right into his world of hard reali
ty and hellish fantasy,” by him and
a solid cast and direction.
Everybody wants “ a piece of
Zooman,” but the neighbors,
played by Rita Bankhead Leduff,
Michael Winbush, Nyewusi Askari
(alternating with Nathaniel Haynes
on different nights), DON’T WANT
TO GET INVOLVED. That is the
primary point of Fuller’s play;
community involvement to break
“ the cycle of terror” in our streets
and neighborhoods. Right where
we all live, “ Zooman lives!” “Write
on,” Gary O’ Brien and the
Storefront Theatre.
On Monday, Nov. 14, the
American Friends Service Corp
mittee (AFSC) will open an art ex
hibition fundraiser at the US
Bankcorp Tower & Plaza Lobby,
111 S.W. 5th Ave. The art exhibi
tion will close on Dec. 2. It will pro
vide a wonderful opportunity to
search for that special gift for
Christmas while contributing to a
good cause.
A reception with contributing
artists will be held on Saturday,
Nov. 19, from 2-4 p.m. at Cafe Vivo,
located at the Bankcorp Tower &
Plaza. Reservations to attend this
reception can be phoned in to
230-9427.
This fundraising event will
benefit an Oregon Hispanic Youth
Delegation scheduled to leave for
Central America during Christmas
school break.
Over 25 artists from Portland,
Seattle and around the West Coast
have donated their art work to be
sold through this one of a kind
exhibition.
Martin Gonzalez, AFSC’s Ceri
tral America Program Director,
stated "The aim of this project is
to give Hispanic youth the oppor
tunity to participate in cultural,
educational, community health,
and agricultural efforts with their
peers in El Salvador and Nicara
gua.” Gonzalez added,
Upon
return, the delegation will share
their experiences with the com
munity in hopes of fostering
greater awareness of the ways in
wnich the two communities can
cooperate with one another.”
In light of the recent disaster
caused by hurricane Joan, funds
raised beyond what is required for
the delegation will be donated for
hurricane relief in Nicaragua's
Atlantic Coast.
ZOOMAN
AND THE SIGN
Z
• * * » /
by Lisa Collins
S
mokey Robinson— Man of the
Month: Smokey Robinson
will be honored by the entertain
ment community when Retinitis
Pigmentosa International, pre
sents him with a musical tribute
Nov. 30 in Beverly Hills. Berry
Gordy will chair the event with
Dick Clark, while Ed McMahon
will serve as master of cere
monies. Robinson was featured in
video of the song “ Forgotten
Eyes,” written especially for RPI.
In addition to Robinson, the video
featured Bob Hope, Dionne War
wick, Herbie Hancock, Marilyn
McCoo, Angie Dickinson, Sammy
Davis Jr., and others. Meanwhile,
just last week, the American
Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers honored the
singer with a starstudded recep
tion at the exclusive Chasen's
restaurant in Los Angeles. Robin
son received the prestigious
Founders Award. Among those
well wishers on hand were Berry
Gordy, top model Beverly John
son, Sheryl Lee Ralph. Mary
Wells, famed songwriter Sammy
Cahn, Knots Landing's Lynne
Moody, and Natalie Cole, who is in
the studios working on her latest
LP. Tentatively titled “ Glad To Be
Back,” the LP is not due out until
March. Meanwhile, Cole will tour
Europe in December and is work
ing out a deal where she and
Dionne Warwick will headline at
Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on
New Year’s Eve.
Is Pebbles pregnant? Rumor has
it that MCA recording star "Peb
bles” is with child. Pebbles, who
earlier this year reportedly sep
arated from her husband, was
seen out and about with The
Deele’s Antonio Reid, alias LA of
the talented producing team, “ LA
& Babyface.” Still, there is no con
firmation on this rumor, and of-
fical word is that she is still very
much married.
Halloween Delight: It was big
fun once again when the Kwanza
Foundation hosted its annual
fundraiser in Los Angeles. Kwan
za, composed of 27 Black act
resses (including Jayne Kennedy,
Marla Gibbs, Beverly Todd, Sheryl
Lee Ralph, Telma Hopkins, Esther
Rolle, Marilyn McCoo, to name a
few) dedicated to giving back to
the community Natalie Cole and
Lou Gossett hosted the costume
ball, the proceeds of which went
to benefit the Jenesse Center,
which houses victims of domes
tic violence. Lou Gossett, whose
wife Cyndi James Reese-Gossett
is a Kwanza member, came as the
Phantom of The Opera. Married
life seems to agree with Lou who
is sporting a few extra pounds
around the middle lately. Natalie
Cole was a flapper, as was Bernie
Casey's wife, Paula, while Beverly
Todd, Whoopi Goldberg's arch
nemesis in Clara's Heart," came
as an angel. Raymond St. Jac
ques won an award for his orig
inal costume. (He came as a Zulu
warrior).
Rick Jones, Actor/Director
"Zooman and the Sign”
The Portland Observer salutes Mr
Rick Jones for his efforts to highlight
the talents and excellence of Afri
can-American actors/actresses
from Portland's Black community.
Keep up the good work Rick!
t*
Let Me Help
Your Holiday
Correspondence:
Letters and Cards,
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236-9687
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Remembered:
McDonald's home office director, David Dandurand, presents international
track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee with a “ gold” medal to announce a new
agreement between her and McDonald’s Corporation. Following the
Olympics, the McDonald's Dream Machine featuring Joyner-Kersee will visit
cities to give motivational speeches and track clinics for young people. The
McDonald's Dream Machine also will feature Bob Kersee, (right) Jackie’s
husband and coach.
3041 N. Williams
284-7150
b u lle t in a te e n a g e g a n g f ig h t
Robeson
Shubert Theater in New York was
the setting “ A Celebration of
Paul Robeson” last Sunday night.
The tribute came 12 years after
his death and 45 years after he
gave his first legendary perform
ance on the very same stage in
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. The tri
bute featured recordings of the
sonnets he read along with
spirituals he sang. Plus, there
were songs, readings, and dance
from some of his well-known ad
mirers, including Bill Cosby,
Morgan Freeman, Ruby Dee, and
the Dance Theater of Harlem. Pro
ceeds from the benefit have been
earmarked to the New York Public
Library's Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture. The
Harlem-based center has a vast
collection of films, recordings
and photographs documenting
the life of Robeson, a celebrated
actor, singer, athlete, scholar and
humanitarian. Next week: hear
from Midnight Star, the group with
one the hottest hits in the country.
Three Black writers recently received national prominence when they were
announced 1988 McDonald’s Literary Achievement Awards winners at an
awards program, which featured a celebrity reading of their works. The pro
gram was hosted by Phylicia Rashad, of “ The Cosby Show, and Denzel
Washington, current star of the Broadway comedy, “ Checkmates.” Seated
above (left to right) are John Henry Redwood of East Orange, N.J., Doris Harris
of Seattle, and Frank B. Wilderson, III, of Minneapolis, the winners in
playwrighting, poetry and fiction writing, respectively. Standing (left to right)
are Mike Gordon, director of public relations for McDonald’s Corporation,
Washington, Rashad, writer Maya Angelou, for whom the fiction award was
named, and Douglas Turner Ward, president and co-founder of the Negro
Ensemble Company (NEC). The awards are presentc J in conjunction with the
NEC, a New York-based organization known for developing Black talent
Cleo’s Cafe
A c o m m u n it y is o u t r a g e d w h e n a y o u n g g ir l is a c c id e n t a lly k il le d b y a s t r a y
Whatever happened to the Fifth
Dimension: “ We are a group
known for our recordings, and
because we haven’t been record
ing, people think we’ve broken up,
but we haven’t.” said Florence
LaRue, who is tired of being told
of her remarkable resemblance to
Diana Ross these days. LaRue
added that the group has been do
ing a lot of touring, particularly
cruises. “ It’s like a paid vacation,”
LaRue smiled.
Saluting
"I carry a gun and a knife.
A gun in this pocket - and ole' MAGIC in this one!"
- ZOOMAN-
BEHIND THE
SCENES
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