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Page 8 Portland Observer N O V E M B E R 16, 1989
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ENTERTAINMENT
Actor Shares Talent
With Students
roadway bounty
B R E P O R t U
by Garland Lee Thompson
S torefront T heatre Ship-W recked To
The Nines On “ Ten N ovem ber’’
On “ Ten November,” 1989, this writer
attended the current production of the Store
front Theatre; “ Ten November,” at the
Winningstad Theatre. "Ten November,'’ was
a commissioned piece, written by Steven
Dietz, with music and lyrics by Eric Bain
Peltoniemi. It was first presented as part of
the Actors Theatre First Stage Program in the
of 1986 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
This is the second play of the Store
front’s season by this same author. The the
atre opened their twentieth anniversary sea
son with another play by Dietz, “ More Fun
Than Bowling,” when the theatre decided to
produce both plays. As they announced; "W e
faced an impossible choice" between the
two works and finally refused to make the
cut,” so they are presenting both as the first
and second in their season.
The Q uestion Is W hy?
While I sat in seat 13, looking at “ the
death of a ship,” lost in a storm on Lake
Superior on "T en November, “ 1975,1 was
carefully trying to determine why "this event"
was important enough to write about for the
stage? The mystery of the sunken ship, the
Edmund Fitzgerald, is that it went down
suddenly without a trace on the radar screens,
leaving no survivors or cues as to what
happen to it in that terrible Great Lake
November storm.
The writer took a great deal of time
setting up the situation, that began to sound
like a ship’s version of aconfusionly written
old “ STARTREK,” segm ent We were
presented with ship’s log-type supposition, a
U.s. Coast Guard investigation, tons of “ flash
backs;” such as the birth and christen of
“ the Fitzgerald,” the crew members, other
ships’ crew in the area, the women of dead
crew members, etc., but “ Where s the beef,
Dietz?”
I enjoyed the folk-singing style and lyr
ics (by Eric Bain Peltoniemi) of the three
women singers; Robin Chilstrom, Lynne
Fuqua, Marian Gaylord, as they were like “ a
folk trio nightclub act,” right in the middle
of a modem folk play; spinning their tales in
song about the cold, hard life of American
freshwater seamen and the ships lost on the
Great Lakes of North America.
It had “ an Irish theatre” quality
about it here that director, Alana Beth Lipp,
by Judy Andrews
worked out quite nicely. The actors did their
job; Steve Clark (Kent) Pachosa, Galen B.
Schrick, Santos Flores, Hank Cartwright,
Rick Mullins, Bob McGranahan, Ross
Huffman-Kerr, David Heath and Rob Buck-
master.
In one scene, the mysterious “ num-
berological background” (the study of the
fate of numbers) of the fateful date and
numbers of the doomed vessel, was carefully
laid out by a character, while sitting and
drinking tea like "A llisterC o o k ” on T V ,or
somebody. But the question remained; why
is this saga important for us to dwell on for
two-acts in the theatre?
Yes, the ship was one of the biggest ever
built for freshwater sailing on the Great
Lakes, but there are more than six thousand
wrecked ships at the cold bottom of the Great
Lakes in the North. And at the end of the play
what were we, the audience left with? A odd
little seaman’s tale about ‘ ‘the big on that got
away,’ ’ and nobody knew just how and why
(at the time).
There are hints of scandal involving the
possible “ overloaded" cargo, the threat of
sailing in the bad weather jinx month of
November the possible lack o f safety drills
and precautions, the suspected flaws in the
ship’s design, and strange other-worldly
“ Twilight Zone” causes. But as for the real
mystery story, it just didn’t seem to come
together in the end to have an meaningful
impact onm e, as an audience member, view
ing this, indeed, another odd little Steven
Dietz theatre experience. Steven, you are so
weird.
The IFC C T heatre R eturns W ith
“ The Colored M useum ”
In another Portland Area theatre hap
pening, the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
is re-opening George C. W olfe’s great black
comedy show, ’’The Colored Museum,
November 15-December 17, 1989.
This will mark the first time that the
IFCC is returning one of its last season
award-winning hits; a sophisticated, satiri
cal musical exploring the myths and changes
of Black America.
The original cast of Brenda Phillips,
Denise Williams, Gregory Donovan, Shirley
Nanette, Neal Thomas, Louise Moaning and
directed by A1 Jamison; will bring back to
Portland, one of the funniest, zaniest, and
most thought-provoking shows to ever be
staged in this city. Never miss it, theatre
fans. Write on. Sue Busby and the IFCC.
Many soap opera fans will remember
him as police Lt. Ed Hall, a featured player
for 17 years on the popular daytime drama
“ One Life to Live.”
Now actor A1 Freeman Jr. has assumed
a new continuing role as teacher and mentor
to drama students in the Howard University
College of Fine Arts.
Freeman, a veteran of eight Broadway
plays and many television appearances,
received an Emmy Award in 1979 for Out
standing Actor in a daytime series.
Describing his stint this year as artist-
in-residence in Howard’s department of
drama as “ splendid misery,” Freeman says
he has always wanted to work with students
and just stumbled on the opportunity at
Howard.
“ I was doing a play last year at Arena
Stage (in Washington, D C.) and asked a
friend who happens to teach here if she
could show me around the cam pus," he
says in an interview. ‘ ‘I arrived only to find
out that she had scheduled me to do an
informal workshop with students.”
Apparently during this session several
students asked why he couldn’t come back,
and before he knew it he had agreed to
return this fall. Thinking back on this scene
with the students. Freeman smiles wonder
ing if they had been prompted to beg for his
services.
The actor is no stranger to academic
life. At the urging of his friend, actor Bill
Cosby, he returned to school in 1976 and
two years later received a master of educa
tion degree from the University of M assa
chusetts, the same institution Cosby at
tended.
“ Cosby said, ‘Go do this!” ’ Freeman
says with a hearty laugh, explaining that
after 30 years, he had to struggle with col
lege entrance examinations.
Working with students in a university
setting has taken some adjustments which
Freeman, who has worked in professional
theater some 30 years, is trying to manage
A ctor A1 Freem an J r., who p o rtray ed Lt.
Ed H all for m any years on the daytim e
soap op era “ O ne Life to Live,” Is now
teaching in H ow ard U ni versity’s College
of Fine A rts. As artist-in-residence, Free
m an and a cast of students and profes
sionals recently presented a production,
“ A Soldier’s Play,” at the university’s
Ira Aldridge T heater. (Photo by H arlee
Little)
A.R.T. To Premiere Holiday Voices
The Oregon Symphonic Band, Oregon’s Premier Symphonic Band, a group of 60
Portland area professional free lance musicians and music educators, is currently present
ing its fourth concert season.
This very fine concert band has performed at many Portland area locations including the
Portland Performing Arts Center and at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle in
1987. The group was formed in 1986 and presented six concerts its first year. Nine concerts
will be performed
—
*n 'he 1989-90
season.
reid, former band
Mr. Dell Her-
High School and
director at Sunset
Tuttle, present
M r.
W illiam
Portland State
band director at
share conducting
U niversity will
Both men are
duties this year,
Oregon as direc-
highly respected in
adjudicators.
tors, clinicians and
forms a variety
The band per-
literature which
of concert band
audiences can relate to and be very entertained. Various soloists, ensembles and guest
conductors have appeared with the group in each series.
One of the unique features of this group is to perform a number by encircling the listeners
in the audience. The band stages its entry through the audience to the stage. The effect is a
beautiful stereophonic sound which engulfs the audience. To further draw the audience into
the concert, various sections of the band play short demonstration pieces to show off their
A rtists Repertory Theatre.
Is
JERMAINE JACKSON
DON T TAKE IT PERSONAL
On The Money
by Lisa Collins
It's C enter Stage For Vy Higginsen: Vy Higginsen looks like money, and why
shouldn't she? Her six-year old. New York City-based firm. Reach Entertainment &
Sports grossed nearly $9 million, and she is one of just a handful of women at the
helm of the nation’s top 100 black firms. However, Higginsen is perhaps the most
unlikely of them all. Not that she isn't capable. In fact, before launching her
company, Higginsen had established herself as an expert on the black consumer
market. But the surprise lies in the fact that Higginsen's fortune is based on the
success of "Mama, I Want To Sing," the longest running, black, off-Broadway,
theatre musical in the history of American theater. Following through on creative
ideas has indeed paid off for Higginsen as a new show, "Let The Music Play Gospel,"
is slated to open in February, and a third, "Mama, I Want To Sing—Part II is
planhned. Said Higginsen: "I really understand that the big money is paved with a
big idea, and that you have to really be patient. It may not happen when you want.
In fact, Higginsen plowed her complete life savings of between $20-30,000 into the
full service entertainment/production company, which today boasts 125 full and
part-time employees. "Hard work is something that I enjoy," said Higginsen, and
I figure that if you work hard, something's got to happen and if you go for it, there’s
a chance you'll w in " . . . Rounding out the list of women heading companies that
rank among the nation's top 100 black-owned firms include B ertha G riffin, whose
Edison, New Jersey-based fimi--Porterhou.se Cleaning & M aintenance Service
Co., reported sales of $6.4 million, and M arilyn Rawlins, a distributor of electronic
components. Founded in 1981, her Cameo Electronics Com pany, Inc., last year
grossed $5.5 million.
Black R ank Among N ation’s Highest Grossing E ntertainers: While this
year's Forbes 400, a listing of the wealthiest people in the United States, was devoid
of blacks (it's entry level was a net worth of $275 million), blacks were well
represented amongst the nation's highest grossing entertainers. Michael Jackson
ranked as number one, earning over $ 125 million) over the last two years. Bill Cosby
whose two-year earnings totaled over $95 million was ranked third. Fact is, when
Cosby went into syndication at tune of $500 million, the 52-year old entertainer
began receiving an estimated one-third of all syndication proceeds, which accounts
to around $4 million per week. Other black entertainers ranking in the top ten
included Mike Ttson (#4), who had a combined two year total of $71 million; Eddie
Murphy (#6), with $57 million; and Oprah Winfrey (#9), at $55 million to nab a spot
on the list last year) fell off the lis t. . . Meanwhile actress Robin Givens, who didn't
make the list, has set aside $35,000 as part of a scholarship fund to send inner city
kids to prep schools. The program, being dubbed the "Never Blue Scholarship Fund
("Never Blue" is the name of her production company), is designed to provide
educational opportunities for children who have been abused, neglected and or
abandoned.
In Short: If you are looking to link up your small business with some major
corporate concerns, contact the National Minority Supplier Development Council,
1412 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10018; (212) 944-2430 . . . Grammy winning
producer and arranger Quincy Jones has filed a license with the FCC, after
reaching an agreement to purchase a New Orleans-based TV network for an
undisclosed price . . . Sad to report the passing of George Beavers, chairm an
em eritus and co-founder of Golden State M utual Life Insurance Company, the
third-largcst black insurer in the nation, who died of natural causes recently in Los
Angeles . . . Next week: a look at how franchising has paid off for some black
M cDonald's operators.
PORTLAND'S
Oregon Symphonic Band
To Perform
SelaeloM aredl, Renee M argolin and Diana Loversofleft to rig h t) in “ Holiday Voices,’
an intim ate and personal revue of holiday songs, stories and traditions, created by
J e r m a in e
with a smile.
During a recent visit, he had students
interrupting him with excuses about missed
rehearsals, costume questions, and prob
lems with other instructors who didn’t want
to give them class release time to work on
Freeman’s production of “ A Soldier’s Play."
Yet, he says that there is no thrill like
watching a student, who after repeated at
tempts, finally gets the part right.
Recently, in Howard University’s newly
renovated Ira Aldridge Theater, Freeman’s
“ miseries” paid off as he and a cast of
students and professionals presented “ A
Soldier’s Play,” a story of murder and
racism during World War II which was
written by Charles Fuller.
Freeman played the role of the irascible
Sgt. Waters, a part played on the screen by
the late Adolph Caesar.
Speaking fondly of Caesar, he told a
story of twice having almost played this
same part on the New York stage and in the
Norman Jewison film production of the
play. When Caesar needed a two week rest
from the Broadway production. Freeman
was asked to step in but declined and then
again he was asked to audition for the film
when it seemed Caesar would be unavail
able for the role.
In the Howard production. Freeman is
also directing, a decision he now jokingly
laments as foolhardy.
“ I don’t think playwrights should di
rect their own plays and I don’t think actors
should direct themselves either," he stresses.
“ It makes the process rather fragmented.”
In addition to his work on the university
production. Freeman, who has directed for
both stage and television, also teaches a
class, “ Acting for Television and Film,”
on Mondays and hopes to teach some m as
ter acting classes next semester.
Asked about his own career, which he
describes as "som ew hat checkered,” he
simply says that he is looking into a few
things. In the meantime, he is contemplat
ing retirement while happily living on his
boat in a little town near Annapolis, Md.
Behind-The-Scenes
B ack!
CIVIC THEATRE
B IL L IE H O L ID A Y
IN S T O R Y & SONG
NOV. 3 - DEC. 10
Blue Room
1530 S.W, Yamhill
$13/$15
at Emersons
Bar & G rill
Group d isco u n t fo r 15 or more
R RATIN G
by Lanie Robertson
EDDIE MURPHY RICHARD PRYOR
E
virtuosity.
Some guest conductors in previous concerts have included Norman Leyden, Associate
Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, Warren Barker of Los Angeles, and Mr. William Tuttle,
Portland State University. Soloists in the past include Richard Thornburg, trumpet, Mike
Donohue, narrator and Margie Boule vocal soloist in the 1988-89 series.
$6.99
|ady D a y
TICKETS:
226-3048
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