Newspaper Page Text
March 6,1995
The Panther P6
usio revie:
ntertainment • happenings
(Photo by Clarence Rolle)
William Ross and Kelly Jackson, of the
CAU Players, portrayed lovers in a
stormy relationship in the play
"Checkmates," performed in CAU's
Davage Auditorium. August Wilson's
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone" and
Lorraine Hansberry's "Toussaint" are
scheduled for April.
‘Checkmates’
Checks
Relationships
By A-Jae Jones
Contributing Writer
In his play, “Checkmates,” Ron
Millner checked the status of
male/female relationships.
The CAU Players presented the
play in Davage Auditorium
Tuesday, Feb. 14 through
Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m.
nightly. The play was directed by
J. W. Lewis, associate professor of
Speech Communications and
Theatre Arts.
As the title suggests, the play is
about mates. The plot focused on
two couples. The older couple has
been married for 43 years and the
younger couple for almost two.
The story line skipped between the
lives of the couples and was set in
the 1980s and early '90s in a large
metropolitan city. The bulk of the
action took place in a home rented
out as a duplex.
The younger couple, Laura and
Sylvester Williams, rented the
upstairs from the older couple,
Frank and Mattie Cooper. During
the course of the play, Laura and
Mattie become friends.
Laura grew up in an abusive
household and like many products
of abusive homes, she ended up in
an abusive relationship. She was
emotionally neglected and physi
cally abused by her husband.
Laura ended their relationship by
throwing him out of the house and
getting a divorce.
Similar patterns of neglect and
abuse went on in the older couple’s
marriage, yet instead of divorce,
they stayed together.
The Feb. 16 performance, was
followed by a panel discussion of
male and female relationships, and
societies views of marriage in the
past and present.
The cast rotated playing the roles
each night. Frank and Mattie
Cooper were played by Kacy Earl-
David, Darren Thornton, Monica
Ellis and Shaunte Norris. Sylvester
and Laura Williams were portrayed
by William Ross, Edward
Washington, Damian Allan, Kelly
Jackson and Chrystal Thomas.
“Checkmates,” effectively
addressed male and female per
spectives and the importance of
effective communication. The play
stressed that men and women must
talk and listen to one another in
order to have a successful relation
ship.
John Patton Jr.: Teacher, Tenor, Trailblazer of Music
By Jimmie Ophelia Woods Jr.
Asst. Editorial Editor
Burrowed in a tiny office,
wallpapered with vintage
books that span the gamut of
black subjects, is a little
praised, world-renowned
opera tenor — John Patton Jr.
Shifting slowly from side to
side in his chair, he estab
lished eye contact and began a
tale that went throughout the
nation and to several coun
tries.
Born in Texarkana, Ark.,
Patton, at age 15, had amassed
a collection of black books
and passion for learning.
Traveling through the rural
South, he sought rare books
from small bookshops. “These
books are valuable in further
ing my work.” He further
emphasized the need to, "trust
blackness, backed by docu
ment not, emotion,” said
Patton.
He attended grade school in
Richmond, Calif, at the
demand of his father. Upon
graduation, Patton moved to
Mississippi and joined the
Mississippi Singers, a touring
choir. He decided to live in
Minnesota briefly, where he
met Roland Hayes the first
black world-famed tenor who
taught and inspired him.
Another strong influence in
his later life was Paul
Roberson, who he patterned
himself after.
Patton told of the racism he
felt and commented that to his
surprise, “New York was as
racist as Mississippi.” While
working at Eastman Kodak,
his struggle turned to triumph.
A telephone audition secured
him a full scholarship to
Manhattan School of Music
which served as his spring
board to the school he truly
wanted to attend, Juliard
movie reviews
World-renowned
tenor, John Patton
Jr., manages to
have down-to-
earth relationships
with students as
he shares his tal
ents and experi
ences as an artist
in residence at
Clark Atlanta
University.
(Univ. Photo)
School of Music. He was also
awarded a full scholarship to
Juliard.
Patton also recounted, “I
was a soloist at Columbia
University briefly, just to eat.”
His debut performance at
March
March 6
• Reception for Dr. Luther G.
Williams
The Department of Speech
Communication Arts and
Theatre Arts invites student, fac
ulty and staff to a reception
celebrating the release of Dr.
Luther G. Williams' compact
disc, "As It Was in the
Beginning," at 5:30 p.m. in
Studio A of the CAU's
Communication Arts Center.
March 9
• Spring Fling ‘95
The CAU Office of Student
Activities will present music on
the yard, giveaways and fun at
5 p.m. in the Thayer Hail
Quadrangle.
Through March 19
• “From the Mississippi Delta”
This play, directed by Kenny
Leon, focuses on the life story of
Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland
growing up in the Delta. It is a
life-affirming, masterful, gutsy,
unforgettable work that show
cases the talents of Crystal Fox,
Ebony Jo-Ann and Clark
Atlanta University's own
Communication Arts Professor,
Carol Mitchell-Leon, Tickets are
from $13-34.75 They may be
purchased at the Woodruff Arts
Center Box Office or by calling:
733-5000. The performance is at
the Alliance Theatre Company.
Carnegie Hall culminated years of work
and nights of prayer. Well-received on
stage, Patton still faced constant racism
that he thought would have subsided after
graduating Juliard. It had not. Patton then
competed for a position with the
Metropolitan Opera that he won.
Mounting racial criticism, his alliance with
the radical ideas of Paul Roberson, his
sense of dignity and demand for respect
caused him to become an educator.
“Racism ranges from blatant to subtle.
Skin color was a deterrent keeping me
from receiving the proper accolades after
winning the finals competiGontfrltted P7