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■ BEST BET
Georgia Theatre presents "Raising Arizona" tonight at 7 and
10 p.m., so come on down. Wear panties on your head. And
hear the Immortal words that launched Holly Hunter's career:
"GIMME THAT BABY, YOU WARTHOG FROM HELL!"
The Red and Black « Monday, March 1, 1993 ♦ t
A&E
Living the Dream does care
Living the Dream perform 'Our Young Black Men are Dying...’
By JANEU. HOBSON
Staff Writer
Nobody seems to care, you say?
Well, Living the Dream Inc. cares
whether or not University students
are interested in the plight of young
African-American males.
This performing arts company,
sponsored by the University Union’s
Committee for Black Cultural
Programs (CBCP), will present “Our
Young Black Men are Dying and
Nobody Seems to Care” at 8 p.m.
tonight in Georgia Hall of the Tate
Center.
“(This company) is an excellent
group,” said Derrick Brown, president
of CBCP. The play has gotten CTeat
reviews, and I know in the Athens
community there’ll be quite a few peo
ple who’ll come out and see it."
“Living the Dream,” a four-person
black ensemble made up of Stephen
Powell, Daryl Wright, Clive Hall and
Dennis Ivey, will perform the play.
“Our Young Black Men...,” an orig
inal musical play by James Chapman,
got its start in 1983 when Chapman,
then 23, was living on the streets of
Houston, Texas, and wrote a suicide
note. He soon expanded the note into
a cry for help and survival that ulti
mately became the play “Our Young
Black Men...,* according to the
American Program Bureau. The play,
which debuted in Dayton, Ohio, in
1990, also features music, poetry and
comedy.
“The play is historical, entertaining
and a documentary on the plight of
young black American men,” he said.
“It’s a serious topic, but one that peo
ple will be able to take notice of and
still be entertained.”
Brown said CBCP tries to bring a
fine arts program to the University
each year. Some of the plays in the
past have focused on such issues as
gang life and slavery. Last year, they
sponsored Jomandi Productions’ “Do
Lord Remember Me,” a drama depict
ing the real stories told by former
slaves.
“We picked ‘Our Young Black
Men...’ because it covers an issue that
a lot of people are not addressing,”
Brown said. “Hopefully, they (the au
dience) will learn what struggles black
men have to go through and the grow
ing up they need in order to survive.”
Brown said despite all the music,
news, statistics and polls that show
what’s going on, no one is making an
effort to change things.
“Nobody seems to care,” he said.
“But a group like this is at least try
ing, and that’s what we need to focus
on.”
Living the Dream Inc. is a New
York-based non-profit organization
that uses the arts to address serious
issues affecting various communities.
Some of their shows have included
“What About Black Womyn?” [sic] and
“You are Invited to an Evening of
Dinner, Dancing and ... Date Rape.”
Brown said CBCP hopes to contin
ue to bring to the University more
shows that not only entertain, but are
of high quality and low cost.
Tickets are $2 for UGA students
and $4 for the general public.
Don’t ruin ‘The Crying Game’
by waiting for the BIG SURPRISE
By STEPHEN ROBINSON
Contributing Writer
Laden with surprises, ambiguities and out
right sexual confusion, “The Crying Game" is a
difficult film to fit into any specific category.
More than just your standard shoot-‘em-up-
and-count-the-dead-bodies-‘til-the-credits-roll
thriller, this film deals with such weighty top
ics as responsibility of conscience, honor, the
fragility of the human spirit and the ambigui
ty and transcendent nature of love.
I’m sure everyone’s heard rumors, hints and
speculations ad nauseum about the so-called
BIG SURPRISE in this film and the threats of
either castration or decapitation to anyone who
reveals it. This was taken to an outrageous and
ridiculous extreme last Saturday, when the
theater manager ordered the audience I was in
not to “discuss the movie while leaving," lest
we ruin it for everyone else.
This hype is just typical Hollywood over-ex
aggeration, making mountains out of molehills
and building everyone’s expectations so high
that anything short of the Second Coming will
seem like a letdown.
Yes, there’s a BIG SURPRISE in “The
Crying Game,” but it’s not really that big (par
don the pun). Once the BIG SURPRISE is un
veiled in all its glory in colorful CinemaScope,
your world won’t be irrevocably changed, nor
will you find yourself reaching out feebly to the
screen while “Thus Spake Zarathustra” echoes
through the aisles.
So even if one of your obnoxious friends
spilled the beans on the BIG SURPRISE, don’t
let that stop you from heading down to the the
ater. It’s worth your money, despite the hype.
What’s important, *kids, is the complex, dis
turbing storyline that’s buttressed by a fine
■ MOVIE REVIEW
cast. Academy Award nominee Stephen Rea’s
performance as the tormented, yet essentially
human. Fergus is brilliant. And Forest
Whitaker, in a pivotal role, commands the
screen and our sympathies during his brief
performance.
Miranda Richardson, up for a Supporting
Actress Oscar for “Damage,” turns in a grand
performance in a minor role that sharply con
trasts Jaye Davidson’s character.
And speaking of Davidson: while not stand
ing a chance against A1 Pacino and Jack
Nicholson in the Best Supporting Actor cate
gory, he deserves a round of applause for bring
ing believability, compassion and humor to his
character, which at times is frightening, dan
gerously co-dependent and almost symbiotic.
My only problem with “The Crying Game" is
a certain implausibility with some of the later
action sequences, but fortunately it doesn’t
spoil the intensity of the film. As a whole, writ
er/director Neil Jordan expertly captures the
essence of the characters while tightly pacing
the action and not wasting a single shot. His
film deserves every nomination it has gar
nered. However, don’t count on it racking up
the gold statues on Oscar night. The competi
tion, deserving or not, is just too steep in each
category.
My biggest fear is that the hype and shad
ed mystery will ruin the impact of the film,
with everyone waiting eagerly for the BIG
SURPRISE while overlooking all the nuances
that occurred. When they finally catch the BIG
SURPRISE, they'll react much like the bride
on her wedding night, glancing at her new hus
band and whining: “Is that all?”
Towne Club
condominium
The Best of Southern Living
Now Pre-Leading lor Lai! 1993
Ollieial sign up dale March 16, 1993 8 a m.
M units will be icscrved on first come first serve basis.
Study in London
and choose from over 250 courses
You are Invited to a
Study Abroad
Presentation
On Your Campus
Wednesday, March 3,1993
3:30 p.m.
Memorial Hall- Room 210
International Services and Programs
> Choose from 7 academic terms (Summer and regular sessions).
> Earn transferable college credit.
• Live in central London housing.
' Participate in full student activities and travel program.
< Study with an international student body and faculty.
If you are unable to attend the upcoming presentation,
please send for information or call 1-800-255-6839.
0
The American College
in London
Study Abroad Programs
3330 Peachtree Rd , N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30326-1016
(800) 255-6839
(404) 231-9000
Address
City
State
Zip
Telephone
College/University
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•moo’»i Cw■•iweiwomm*