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November 2, 1989 • Portland Observer ■ Page 5
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storefront Theatre Appoints
New Marketing Director
n R O A D W A Y ÎOUNTX
D r e p o
by Garland Lee Thompson
PASSINARTS THEATRE
CO-POUNDER HEADS EAST
M ichael G rant, co-founder o f the
P ortland-based P assin A rts T heatre
Com pany recently, quietly left town and
has re-located to New Haven, Connecti
cut, w hich is a short train ride to New
York City.
A fter w orking for several seasons
in the Portland area theatre scene as a
director, actor and playw right, Michael
G rant decided to follow his heart and
aspirations in the arts and take another
step in the further developm ent o f his
career.
T his surprise decision came after
joining his partner and co-founder o f the
PassinA rts Theatre Com pany, Connie
Carley, this past A ugust 14-20,1989, as
they attended the first National Black
Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North
Carolina. They w ent as a part o f the
Portland, O regon delegation o f jblack
theatre people that included Sue Busby,
executive director of Interstate Firehouse
Cultural Center, A1 Jam ison, director o f
IFCC's current production, "The C ol
ored M useum" (re-opens Nov. 15 - Dec.
17, 1989), and this w riter (who sat on
theatre panel discussions, such as "Play
wrights on Playwrighting," and "D irect
ing a New Play for the Black Theatre").
W hether it was a logical move for
his career or strictly an unplanned "spur
o f the moment" and em otions in his
decision, the City o f Portland shall miss
the creative energy and drive o f M ichael
G rant. All o f us in the arts and com m u
nity, join in wishing, M ichael, the best
o f success in his career developm ent and
great happiness in his announced planned
m arriage to actress, Denise Jam es, o f the
black theatre circles o f New Haven. They
m et at the National Black Theatre Festi
val that is now "history," as did m any of
us and the thirty thousand people who
attend that great black festival, spon
sored by Larry Leon H am lin, and the
North Carolina black Repertory T he
atre. ("Ah love and the A rts!”)
R t U
W e all look forw ard to Michael
returning to the Pacific progress o f the
PassinA rt Theatre Com pany, under
Connie C arley’s direction as artistic di
rector (She directed the last production
o f the com pany).
Indeed, we are feeling the growing
pains of becoming "national" in our think
ing and overview o f the new trend to
ward a truly "N ational Black Theatre
M ovem ent in the 1990's. And we are
beginning to plan for the next National
Black Theatre Festival in W inston-Sa
lem, scheduled for the sum m er o f 1991 (I
can't wait).
"W rite on, M ichael, and "break a
leg." New Haven has traditionally been a
great "tryout tow n” in the theatre, on the
way to New York and its "the bright
lights" o f fame and fortune.
TH E PO RTLAND TH EA TRE
S A M P L E R S E R IE S K IC K S O F F
T H E N E W SEA SO N
The Portland Area Theatre Allaiancc
(PATA), is introducing it new Portland
Theatre Sam ple Series, at a cocktail hour
get-together, N ovem ber 15, 1989, 6:30
P.M ., at the Broadw ay Revue, S.W . Jef
ferson at Broadw ay, featuring com pli
mentary hors d'oueuvres and a no-host
bar.
The Portland Theatre Sample Se
ries is designed to present the current
1990 theatre paroductions o f nine o f the
Portland Area Theatre Alliance C om pa
nies, with one of the scheduled perform
ances hosted by two selected theatre
representatives, such as this w riter and
other m em bers o f the performing arts
com m unity o f Portland.
Storefront Theatre has appointed
Michele W aldock its new marketing
director effective O ctober 23, 1989.
W aldock, a Britisher by birth, has been a
resident o f Portland for 3 years and has a
B.A. in Com m unications from the U ni
versity o f Portland.
A lawyer by profession, W aldock
spent several years in private practice
and in the corporate/business world in
the U.K. prior to her appointm ent as a
business m anager in the program acqui
sitions departm ent o f BBC Television.
Organization of
Black
Screenwriters
The Organization o f Black Screen
writers fust meet in June, 1988. its founder,
Bozana Belokosa, recognized the lack
o f minority representation in the Indus
try: "Blacks have stories that should be
told."
Control o f Black A rt should be held
by African-Americans.
JOIN US!
Tell us w hat you w an t to see in
m ovies an d on television!
C o n tact: M s. B ozana Belokosa,
O rg an izatio n of b lack S cre e n w rite rs,
P.O . Box 40948, P a sa d e n a , CA 91114-
7948, T elephone #: (818) 798-2994.
(Note: At the present time, we are
not in a position to receive completed
scripts. The catalog lists titles only. We
cannot accept complete screenplays -
only titles and genre.)
PATA THEATRE SAMPLER TENTATIVE
SCHEDULE FOR 1990
Day, Date and Time
Host
Ten N ovem ber
Storefront
W ed., Nov. 15 at 7:30 P.M.
Dennis Bigelow
Allen Nause
The Lion in W inter
Colum bia
Thurs., Dec. 14 at 8:00 P.M.
Jim G ilsdorf
Jonathan Nicholas
Bum This
O SF Portland
W ed., Dec. 14 at 7:00 P.M.
Sue Busby
Gary O'Brien
Frankie & Johnny in
The C lair de Lune
A rtist Repertory Theatre
Thurs., Feb. 8 at 8:00 P.M.
Vana O'Brien
Richard Yarnell
W om en in M ind
New Rose Theatre
Thurs., Mar. 22 at 6:30 P.M.
M ichael Jones
Andrew Edwards
Saturdays
My Fair Lady
M usical Com pany
Sun., April 22 at 2:00 P.M.
Bill Bulick
Isabell Chappell
Nov. 4 - Dec. 9
'2.-3O - i=3O pm
Signal Season o f
Dummy Hoy
IFCC Theatre
Sun., May 13 at 2:00 P.M.
Greg Gilbertson
Tad Savinar
Tee: £6o
Robber Bridegroom
Portland Civic Theatre
Thurs., June 14 at 8:00 P.M.
Sylvia's D inner Theatre
Thurs., July 5 at 7:30 P.M.
*jni j
M ichael G riggs
Nanette Taylor
> noooonntr
To make theatre more accessible to
students o f all ages, Storefront Theatre
is implementing a 55 rush ticket policy
for all its productions.
Any remaining tickets may be pur
chased by students for only $5 on the day
o f perform ance, fifteen minutes prior to
curtain-tim e. This offer is lim ited to one
ticket per student on presentation o f a
current student I.D.
Student ruch tickets will first be
offered for sale to all perform ances o f
TEN NOVEM BER, which plays at the
Dolores W inningstad Theatre, Portland
Center for the Performing Arts, O ctober
28-N ovem ber25. Regular perform ances
are Nov. 2 thru Nov. 25, Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m .,
Sundays at 2 p.m. and/or 7 p.m.
PRJM A r m
Play and Theatre
Tw ig W ebster
G arland Thompson
$5 Rush Tickets Available
To Students For
A ll Storefront Plays
L earn the basic techniques of LUesr A frican
han4-4rumyn,’n q in this challenging ¿-week
w orkshop taught by ¿Thanaian M aster
D rum m er
APPT.
PINE street
917SWALPER
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for information
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"L A & B abyface" T o M ake M usic F o r T h e ir O w n R ecord L abel: "LA &
Babyface," one o f the top record producing teams in the nation, held a press
conference recently in their hom e-base of A tlanta, to announce the form ation of
LaFace Records. The dynamic duo, who have produced smash hits for some o f the
recording industry’s m ajor stars including Sheena Easton, Karyn W hite, New
Edition, Pebbles, and most recently "Babyface” himself, signed a multi million
dollar distribution pact with Arista Records for an undisclosed amount, to sign and
develop their own acts for the newly-formed label. The move will severely lim it if
not cut out altogether the amount o f outside projects that Antonio "LA" R eid and
Kenny "Babyface” Edm onds will take on. W hile many speculate their first project
will involve W hitney Houston (with whom they met last month), no one is quite sure
whether or not it m eans Reid and Edmonds will work with Bobby Brown on his next
LP. Perhaps the only sure thing is that they will indeed produce Pebbles upcom ing
LP. Pebbles (who recently married Reid) suspended work on her album until after
the couple's first child (due any day now) is bom. Those on hand for the announce
ment included Coretta Scott King, Andrew Young, and Clive Davis (president of
Arista Records). A special reception waqs held at the home o f Antonio "LA" Reid,
MT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“Discount Prices for back to
School”
PORTLAND Ik.
CIVIC THEATRE
BILLIE HOLIDAY
IN STORY & STORY
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after the announcem ent
Elsew here in A tlanta, Britain's top selling pop m agazine "Smash Hits" voted
Bobby B row n th e m o st p rom ising solo a rtis t of the year, and the London BBC
flew into town to film Bobby Brown accepting the award. For those who can't get
enough o f Brown, he and fellow MCA recording artist Jody W alley are both
preparing the release o f dance LP's. That’s 12" rem ixes of their dance music to m ake
their way into the nation's music stores during the holiday season.
J u s t W h o W ill Play Jo sep h in e B ak er? That's the question on the m inds o f just
about all o f Hollyw ood's top black actresses. The plum of a role is part of an HBO
telepic based on the life of the famed entertainer which will probably go into
production sometime after the firsto f the year. Even MCA recording sensation, Jody
W atley who is sporting a new short haircut that some say fashions a Josephine Baker
look, is reportedly after the role. O thers up for the coveted role include Irene C ara,
"Color Purple's” M argaret Avery, Paula Kelly, Holly Robinson, V anessa W illiam s,
andLynn W hitfield, who while developing a brilliant screen career is also honing in
on some entrepreneurial skills as she has teamed with a skin care specialist to launch
an all-natural skin-care line called "MF1."
S ta rs L ineup T o C e le b ra te S am m y's 60th Y ear: Michael Jackson and Frank
Sinatra will be am ong those on hand to salute Sammy Davis Jr. on his 60th
anniversary in show business at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. T he event
to take place N ovem ber 16 will be hosted by Eddie Murphy. The all-star lineup also
includes G oldie Hawn, Bill Cosby, Liza M inelli, and G regory H ines. Proceeds
raised from the event, which is being videotaped for broadcast on A BC, will go to
the United Negro C ollege Fund.
In sh o rt: All My Children ac tre ss D ebbi M o rg an has set D ecem ber 30 as the
date of her wedding to actor Charles Dutton in New York C ity. M organ plays Dr.
Angela Hubbard on the popular so a p . . . Universal Studios Tour shut dow n its fam ed
"Earthquake attraction" for 48 hours as a sympathetic gesture and out o f respect in
lieu o f the devastating 6.9 shaker that recently rocked the Bay Area. The tw o-m inute
ride simulates an 8.3 q u a k e -th e size o f th one that devastated San Francisco in 1906.
N ext w eek: R andy Ja c k so n , the m averick m em b er o f the fa m e d Ja c k so n
clan strik e s o u t on his own.
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