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Kenny Raskin
The man behind the whlteface
by Faith Powell
How would you like your face
plastered on billboards all over
^America? Not too many people
| have a chance of fulfilling that
' fantasy...unless they are John
! Dillinger, Barbra Streisand or
i Kenny Raskin.
Kenny Raskin?
Yes, Kenny is that blushing
[ bridegroom promoting insurance
' while you drive down Peachtree
; Street. He has also been seen as a
' smiling football fan plugging soft
drinks and a waiter using a 24-hour
banker.
This modeling for newspapers,
magazines and billboards or “print
work” as it is called in the in
circles, is his bread and butter,
Kenny admits. But he is much
happier when, his face is covered
with a jarful of whiteface makeup.
Whiteface is the trademark of a
very special group of performers.
Kenny is a mime. His show “A
Mixed Bag** can be seen at mime
festivals, theaters, and workshops.
And although entertaining is an
important part of his life, he has
used his talents to help children
open up.
When kids are little, Kenny
explains, they are always running
around, being really free with their
bodies. “At 10, 11,12 they start to
close up. They begin to ask
themselves—‘Is this movement
socially acceptable?* I want to get
them back in touch with what they
can do with their bodies.”
Kenny’s interest in drama, in
modeling, in children and in
developing mime workshops is a
far cry from his interests in high
school. He grew up in Savannah,
where he was very involved in
AZA. He is a past Aloph Godol, he
mentions proudly.
As for his interests at that time,
Kenny says, “1 was interested in
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women, well...they were girls back
then.”
He was a Blue-Star camper and
during a stint in the Teen-age
Village, IS-ycar-oId Kenny
decided to audition for a play.
Thinking to himself that it might
be fun to be in the background of a
play, Kenny was surprised to be
named as the lead.
This early success aside, he
entered Brandeis University
determined to be a lawyer. He still
did some acting but began
majoring in - American Studies.
Senior year, Kenny made up his
mind—no law school
“1 didn’t know what I was going
to do. My parents had always
taken care of me: / needed to know
how to take care of me...earn my
own money...make my own
decisions,” Kenny explains.
Since heading for a career
among the bright lights, the 28-
year-old actor, has been kept busy
in front of live audiences and
television, film and still cameras.
Kenny is a real character. This is
no reflection on his personality, it
is the actor’s self-description.
Insisting that he is not “just
another pretty face,” Kenny credits
his expressive and his “not-all-
American” features with his
success.
One of his most impressive
credentials is his portrayal of a 20-
year-old marginally retarded
Manna in PBIi'i MMlminn of-A
«o*kT
broadcast nationally three years
ago. (He still has a copy of that
week’s TV Guide with his name in
Kenny Raskin— actor, model Mime
it.)
Why has Kenny not packed his
bags and headed for greener
pastures? Right now, Atlanta is
green enough. A person can, he
says, “be a working actor here, if you
are willing to have days when you
don’t work.” A-life in the theater
can be very hectic. Shooting on
location, national tours, running
for auditions. In light of this
Kenny says, “I’m not a gypsy, f like
wauMMmwtrea in front of my
house.” ..
Kenny Raskin is an open, honest
young man, who will immediatel''
dispel any. pre-conceived notions
of the self-involved actor.
National stardom, he believes is
just an agent away. “Some agent
will take a look at you and say,
’Hey, this guy can make me
money.” You are a viable product,
a viable talent.”
Meanwhile, his days are filled
with his first love—mime,
auditions, rehearsals, light checks,'
sound checks, a growing interest in
directing. And running through
everything that Jtaaaty <Som ieetw
thread of an actor’s special brand
of optimism.
SineleScene
by Faith Powell
So you call yourself single?
Hmm, wo itfs have many
meanings, therefore, let us look
into the dictionary to see what we
are really saying about ourselves.
Single can mean alone (that’s
true sometimes), unmarried (ah,
we knew we weren’t wrong),
unique (we’d like to think so),
separate (not that!), suitable for
one person (at a time, of course),
sincere, honest, dedicated (tell us
more, more), having but one set of
petals, as a flower (speak for
yourself buddy!).
You see, words carry a lot of
weight. Next time you choose to
define yourself, make sure that you
HOW
LITE
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are saying what you want to say
and not saying what you think you
may be saying.
Enough said? *
Lox, Stock And Bagel
The Thursday Singles will have
a brunch at the Hillel House, 1531
Clifton Road, at 11:30 a.m.,
Sunday, April 13.
The brunch will feature bagels,
lox, cream cheese, eggs and matza
brie.
For more . information and
reservations call Adelc Grossman,
634-4970 or Dell Asher, 237-0011.
Third Tiiesday
Join all singles, all ages for s
discussion by guest speaker Betty
Cantor about “The Effects of the
Holocaust on the 19$0s” at 7:30
p.m., Tuesday, April 15, at the
AJCC/Zaban.
Following the presentation,
there will be a social hour with a
cash bar.
For more information call Jen.
Feldman, 875-78$!.
On Being Jewish and Single
Rabbi Shlomo Blunting Will join
all singles, all ages for an
introspective evening on “Being.
Jewish and Single,” at 8 p.m.,' .
Thursday, April 17, at the
AJCC/ Peachtree.
For more details call Jen
Feldman. 875-7881.