University Daily Kansan / Friday, February 1, 1991
Arts and Entertainment
9
Jones creates art from his life
Theater production incorporates AIDS, religion and discrimination
By Lara Gold
It started as a joke.
Dance choreographers Arane Zune and Bill T. Jones were in a hospital room in Clearwater, Fla., throwing out titles for a production.
Zane was dying of AIDS-related illnesses.
Michelle Heffner, Lawrence senior, performs an ensemble of religious fervor.
They started talking about how they grew up with racism.
They were churning out titles and images, and Zane suddenly had a vision of a 200 pound opera singer on an ice flow.
Jones, then imagined the character of Eliza, a slave, from Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" on the ice flow.
Jones grew up in an African-American working class family with a devout Christian mother. In their house there was a picture of the Leonardo Dai Vinci painting "The Last Supper" on one wall and a picture of John F. Kennedy on the other.
"My background had been such that I was raised with white people." Jones says. And in the racially tense climate of the '60s, Jones was referred to as an Uncle Tom because of his friendships with white people and relationship with Zane.
But he questioned that thinking.
"How can I be myself, a complete Black man, and interact with people of different races in a veryracial society?" he asked "What am I?"
***
Zane connected their thoughts and came out with "The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin."
They laughed.
In the search for answers to these questions, the joke turned into art — the production "The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin" The Promised Land. The production addressed discrimination on all levels.
Beginning the production
zane died before the work was completed.
Dissillusioned by the death of his 39-year lover, Jones' search for answers began, and so did the production.
He was commissioned in 1989 by
several universities to create the production.
Jackie Davis, director of the chamber music and new direction concert series at the University of Kansas, said she liked what she read about the work Jones was creating and wanted to bring it to the University.
"It was a combination of issues and art that were appropriate to a university community like ours." Davis said.
"He takes on religion, he takes on racism and homophobia and death," she said.
Davis, who saw the premiere, said the work was riveting.
"It makes no difference what you believe," she said. "Bill's piece will touch you on a level you never imagine inside you and push you ever further."
The work is divided into a series of stories incorporating dance, song, music, drama and praver.
It includes parts from the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. and a portion of a play by Leroy Jones.
Tackling tough issues
The scenes tackle the issues of faith, homophobia, AIDS, racism and discrimination.
Jones said many voices were speaking in the production — gay voices. African-American voices, women's voices and the list on trees has.
People should listen to the voice that they hear the strongest, Jones said.
"It is not a time for complacency," he said. "It is a time to question." Are you satisfied with the way things are?"
Davis said people should come to the show with an open mind.
One portion of the production that has fueled much controversy is the last segment, "The Promised Land."
'It is not a time for compacency. It is a time to question,
"Are you satisfied with the way things are?" '
The segment incorporates approximately 30 dancers from the Lawrence area, including KU students, with the touring company. In the final three minutes everyone disobes.
"Nobody has responded to the nudity in any big way in any other place it has been presented." Davis said.
Bill T. Jones
co-author of 'The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin' The Promise Land'
The local dancers in the play think that too much hype has been given to the nudity and should not be the reason to attend the production.
"All the issues talked about in the play, like racism and religion and homosexuality, our society sees as overland, Overland Park freshman, said.
"With the nudity, everything is taken away and we are all the same." she said
Jones said the audience had a nudity concern until they saw the
Jones said the nudity was the one common denominator we all shared. He said it was a vision of heaven where everyone lived in a community, where differences didn't make a difference.
Jones' and Zane's production "The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin" The Promised Land" will be presented at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in Hoch are $75 and 50 for KU students and are available at the SIA ticket office.
work.
Bill Resnick, Los Angeles senior, and Jennifer Gather, Tulsa, Okla., sophomore, revel in the spirit of mankind.
■ Caribe, 9:30 p.m. , The bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St., $5
■ "Ghost" SUA movie, 7 and 9.30 p.m., Woodrift Auditorium in the Kansas Union, $2.50
CALENDAR
SUA Coffeehouse, "?," impromptu entertainment, 7.00 p.m., Big Eight Room in the Kansas Union, free
"Evil Dead," SUA movie, midnight.
Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas
Union, $2.50.
The Sons of Rex. 9:30 p.m. The
Jazzhaus, 9:25 m./Massachusetts St. $3.
The Breezey. 9:30 p.m. Johnny's
Tavern. 41 N. Second St. $1.
Saturday
College Bowl, SUA activity, registration begins at 8 a.m. in Kansas Union lobby.
■ "Yojimbo," SUA movie, 4 p.m.
Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas
Umpqua, $2.
Ghost," SUA movie, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Woodford Auditorium in the Kansas Union. $2.50
Fourth Annual River City Review,
variety show, 8 p.m., Liberty Hall, $10.
Sin City Disciples, 9:30 p.m. the
Bottleneck, 83 New Hampton St., $4.
The Sons of Rex, 9:30 p.m. The Jazwares, 9:22 m/$acassus St. $3. The Breeze, 9:30 p.m. Johnny's Tavern, 41N. Second St. $1.
"Evil Dead," SUA movie, midnight,
Noodrift Auditorium in the Kansas
Junction, $2.50.
Sunday
■ "Ghost," SUA movie, 2 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union, $2.50.
Monday
Industrial Design Exhibit through Saturday, included works by KU students. Gallery in the Kansas Union, free. Open Mic, 7 p.m., The Bottleneck.
Berkley, barkley, den, noe
Walter Bernard, graphic designer,
Hallmark Lecture Series, 8 p.m.
Spencer Museum of Art.
■ "Malcolm X," SUA movie, 7 p.m.
Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas
Union, $2.
Tuesday
"The Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/Promised Land," production by Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, KU New York, 8 p.m. Hoolchick Auditorium, lockers
■ Kill Whithe and Second Chance, 9:30 p.m., The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., $4
Wednesday
"Malcolm I" SU,X线车 7.pm
Woolfruit Audition, Kansas Union $2.
Mustang Lightning and Rot Git.9:30
Little Trekker , 739 New Hampshire
St. $3.
Matt "Guitar" Murphy, 9:30 p.m. The Jazzhaus 9:25 / Massachusetts St. $5.
Buzz Norman, 9:30 p.m., Johnny's Tavern. 401 N. Second St, $1.
Greg Brown and Bill Crahan, acoustic folk. 9:30 p.m. The Bottleneck. 737 New Hampshire St., advance tickets necessary.
Thursday
■ Matt "Guitar" Murphy, 9:30 p.m., The Jazzhaus, 926 $1/2 Massachusetts St., $5.
■ "Stormy Weather," SUA movie, 7 p.m., Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union, $2.
MOVIES
'Grifters' movie stings moviegoers
The movie stars actor John Cusack as Roy Dillon, a short-take con man. He makes his living cheating bar on the movie's pathetic patrons out of their money.
Audiences at "The Griffits" can learn skills ranging from how to cheat at the race track to making a quick $20.
In fact, everyone on Roy seems to be in on the grift. His girlfriend and his mother also dabble in the art of the take. Anjelica Huston plays a character who works the race tracks for the mob while skimming a little for herself.
REVIEWS
Huston, who looks like the model for Ivory Snow, plays each scene with calculated ease. Her effortless portrayal leaves us disgusted at her deceiving character yet sympathetic for her demeaning existence.
The triangle of deception weaved by Roy and Lily is completed by
Myra Langray, Roy's girlfriend Annette Bening plays Myra, who lends new definition to the term exspot. Her birthday suit is her favorite article of clothing, and she wears it often throughout the movie.
A beautiful score by Elmer Bernstein compliments the action efforts by Huston, Cusack and Bening. A beautiful score, however, does not make a film great; neither does great acting.
My advice to audiences at "The Grifters:" Don't eat any candy before the last scene.
- Kristine Curley, Special to the Kansas.
Visionary movie is action-packed
"Darkman" is a simple story of
good vs. evil, seen through the talented lens of Bill Pope, with surefire direction from Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead") and the kind of special effects one only can visualize from action comic books.
Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) on the brink of perfecting a synthetic skin that can take on the features of any photograph feet into a computer. The only problem is the skin disintegrates 100 minutes after it is exposed to light.
Westlake is visited by a team of hit men who seek a memo in his girlfriend's possession that links a real estate tycoon to the mob. Led by the vicious Robert Durant (Larry Drake), who likes to snip off his victims' fingers with his cigar sheer to add to his digit collection at home, the killers throw Westlake through several glass cabinets, beat him, shoot him, dunk his head in a vat of acid and leave him a mangle mess after turning up the gas and lighting a flame to destroy their handwerk
As far as the world is concerned,
Westlake is dead — as well he should
be after all that.
From The Associated Press
THE
JAYHAWKR YEAR BOOK
Is Lookin For An Editor. Could it Be Tou?
Applications for editor will be available on January 28, in the SUA office and the Organizations and Activities Center, both located in the Kansas Union. Applications are due on February 8, by 5 p.m. in either location. Questions should be directed to the Jayhawker Yearbook office at 864-3728.
BEN & JERRY'S
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PICTURE & POSTER SALE
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