Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 21, 1995, edition 1 / Page 9
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<% Sailg ®ar Hpfl p< jffjHßjr Jj§' HB | m a - . jfj'&jjjj|§ '£'yy'' I Mi h 9 ■MK Delroy Undo chats with detectives John Turturro and Harvey Keitel in Spike Lee's latest film, 'Clockers.' Play Makers Presents Shakespeare Classic It is quite pathetic that if I were to mention the name “Iago" in casual con versation these days, most people would think I was referring to the annoying parrot in “Aladdin.” If you happen to be one of those people, then you definitely need to get some serious culture in your life. The best way to obtain some culture is to get over to the Paul Green Theatre, A.S.A.P., to see Play Maker’s presentation of “Othello.” Di rected by David NICOLE QUENELLE j Theater Renew 'Othello' Hammond, this show is, simply put, drama at its finest. Set in 19th century Venice, the play centers around the love affair of Othello (the Moor) and Desdemona, which is be ing tom apart by the jealous rage of lago.. lago’s primary meansofdestroying Othello is to plant a seed of suspicion in Othello’s mind that his friend Cassio is “topping” Desdemona. lago is the first of the characters to really draw the audience into the action of the play. Arrestingly played by Conan McCarty, lago almost makes the audience feel dirty, drawing them into his web of deceit through center stage, spotlighted monologues in which he frighteningly re lays his plans of betrayal. What makes lago such a disturbingly effective villain is his ability to turn the most innocuous of gestures and expressions by Desdemona 18* Bi t day Ba li! Thursday, September 21 10:00pm-Closing DlVhil XMCiM/l! 75c Domestic Draft (12 oz.)/Sl .25 (20 oz.) Live MmU The Trout Band Other Prizes: | 1 Tom Petty tickets for \ Drawings For: g September 27th! PRIZE!! Lunch/Dinner/Brunch / 2 taury accommodattow in W gift certificates for /N*attouniWgOi\ Spanky’s, Squid’s / 2 Nights gift certificates for dinner at & 411 West! / Paolo’s Italian restaurant & Clyde’s jtt/M plus expense money! T-shirts, hat’s & more! 10l East Franklin Street • 967-2678 mfiMiiiiiHinmiiiiimiiiimmini and Cassio into actions oflust in the eyes of Othello. McCarty’s line delivery and ex pression are very nonchalant during these manipulations, making lago’s motives seem not deliberate and demonstrating an intimate understanding of his character. lago’s primary target of vengeance is the title character played by Earl Baker, Jr.. whose tragic flaw is his naivete and trust in mankind. Baker carries off the complexi ties of this multifaceted character with great credibility. Not an easy thing to do when you’replayingacharacterwho, during the span of the play, experiences happiness, bliss, incredulousness, annoyance, anger, and at least 10 varying degrees of rage. Suffice it to say, Baker is very adept at making the quick transitions his character requires from one emotion to another (or, as it may be, from one degree of an emo tion to a deeper degree of that same emo tion) seem very real. In doing so, he is able to evoke a genuine sense of pathos from th e audience. This pathos is extended to Desdemona(CelesteCuilla), Othello’s wife and the object of both his bliss and his rage (and every emotion in between). Of all of the characters, Cuilla’s is the most refined. Though her character is a 19th century Venetian woman, Cuilla speaks the lan guage of any woman who has gone through the emotional hell of losing the love of her man by forces beyond her control. I feel compelled to mention here that while the plot of “Othello” centers around DIVERSIONS Keitel, Undo Bring in ‘dockers’ in Good Time Proclaimed by Spike Lee, the film’s director, as “the final nail in the coffin of the ‘urbandrama’ (read: ‘gangsta’ movie),” “Clockers” is a remarkably complex pic ture about cops, crooks, and the relation ship therein. Once focusing onßichard Price’s novel about a 40-year-old police detective going through a mid-life crisis, the story is now centered around Strike (Mekhi Phifer), a 19-year old African Ameri can youth who TODD GILCHRIST Umn* Bauiami in otic ncvsun 'Clockers' B+ is a “docker” (an around-the-clock drug dealer) who realizes thatgettingpaidmeans taking more risks than he was prepared for. When the arrest of Strike’s brother for murder smells sour, investigators Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) and Larry Mazilli (John Turturro) turn to Strike, who is the next likeliest candidate. Soon Strike is caught between pressure from the police and the power of the local drug kingpin, Rodney (Delroy Lindo), who has taken him under his wing. The plot disappears and reappears an interracial couple, the play itself is not thematically about race. It is about love, betrayal and revenge to its most horrifying and destructive degree. So if you are ex pecting “Jungle Fever” in 19th century Venice, you can throw that thought further from your mind than that obnoxious par rot in “Aladdin.” Lighting design by Robert Wierzel and sound design by Mark Hartman comple ment the acting to create the mood of the play. A piercing spotlight and foreboding music during lago’s monologues entangle the audience in his treachery even further. The use of almost complete whiteness on Desdemona’s death bed gives the image of purity and innocence lost in her murder and slander. Clearly the most profound handicap of this show is its length (which really says a lot about the quality of drama here if you think about it). The play runs approxi mately two hours and 45 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. In this culture of increasingly shrinking attention spans you may be asking yourself, “Why should I sit through a 3-hour-long play about love and betrayal when I can get an hour full of that for free watching “Melrose Place?” Well, frankly, if you are the type of person who would ask this question, maybe you shouldn’t watch “Othello.” After all, Shakespeare doesn’t appeal to everyone, but if you know it’s your dish, PlayMakers’ “Othello” is a real treat. among a sea of diatribes about anything from hardcore rap to the dangers of drug use. In the first hour, the film doesn’t even appear to be directed toward any end,but rather appears to be a soapbox about Lee’s personal views of the ghetto. Lee’s usually lush photography ap pears to have been scraped away with sandpaper, leaving Malik Sayeed’s stripped-down style, which features shaky pans, zooms, and focus shifts that come off as an extended “NYPD Blue” riff. The film addresses several problems that it fails to respond to; in particular, the audience never finds out the point of all of the trouble Keitel’s character goes to for these two African Americans in whom he shows so little interest during the film These glitches still do not prevent the performances from allowing the film to be oneofthemostpowerfuloftheyear. Phifer, previously an unknown, turns in one of the JI jgLfA Ipfsif jjß jSaf -.y- II Don't take a chance on your resume getting you the interview. Talk to recruiters in person at the Carolina Career Day September 28 In tne Great Hall 12:30-5:00pm j Fun Times, Safe Times or Just Sometimes, j CALL NOW to meet that certain person! All Lifestyles included! The most popular phone dating service. Romance • Friendship * Companionship 1-900-772-7233 Only $1.98 per minute! 18*. A'.r. call 3 mins. Cush svc (360)636-3313 JUNIORS Explore different career options and look for internships through the Carolina Career Day September 28 in the Great Hall 12:30-5pm Crescent City Music Hall Thursday, 9/21 To Be ilnnouneed Fri. 9/22 & Sat. 9/23 Doxy's Kitchen CD release party Monday, 9/25 Jn The Joint progressive acoustic jazz Tuesday, 9/26 HTerey me 2 piece funk. jazz S soul band Wednesday, 9/27 Sulsa Carolina dance lesson at 3:00 salsa dancing 2:15-2:00 Thursday, 9/28 Patty Costis Band rock -n roll 504 1/2 W. Franklin St. • 932-3820 Hill Line: 549-4949, press 6 most genuine portrayals of adolescent tor ment and indecision of any film seeking to represent this angst-filled age. Phifer juggles the scenes with his friends and with Lindo and Keitel like a pro, still managing to show his susceptibility to the adult world. Keitel (“The Piano”) turns in another riveting performance as Klein. His explo sive moments are as powerful and con vincing as any since his overpowering (and extremely raw) portrayal of a cop on the fringes of the law in “Bad Lieutenant.” Delroy Lindo may receive a nomina tion based on the strength of Rodney and /CUBA -PIVIWO The Underwater ‘Realm Next Class Starts October 9th! •|V Chapel Hill Y.M.C.A. <£ / * ALL Educational Materials AND Training Equipment |llwß|§Bf H ARE PROVIDED! Call For More Information ■ m 1-800-251-2777 SUNCHA/ERS DIVE CENTER Kr 2 0 PF| HOUSEPLANTS •Low Maintenance* Panda Plants*Hindu Ropes ghom Fern Baskets*Lipstick Vines I ring of Pearls*Wax Plants*Cactus * Repotting Service Available * Southern states 300 North Greensboro Street day-Frldayß-£^Saturdayß-5 • Sunday 1-5 POT"’: A Fondue Restaurant | $8 OFF FONDUE FEAST for TWO Regular Price $42.95 j At participating restaurants only. Not valid with any other offer, one offer per ■ coupon. A15% gratuity will be added to the original bill. Reservations suggested. EXPIRES 10/28/95. Good Sun. - Thurs. & Fri. - Sat. Before 6pm. [ _ 878-0477 Slf™ 55 ' 3100 Wake Forest Road at Beltline, Raleigh A Fondue Restaurantjj CBffC lly I ( Ml east Franklin, I IV / chapel Hill I Tam-Midnight OPEN 9AM WEEKENDS L I Experience flu fresh flavors ol the Southwest ldi^|jjrrihi * 4D *l* mixican Come Enjoy a Beer and Some Badass Mexican Food on Chapel Hill’s Best Patio! 214 W. Franklin Street • 967-8899 • Open Lunch & Dinner Every Day Thursday, September 21,1995 his other two Lee performances, most no tably in “Crooldyn.” His ability to traverse from likeability to sheer terror in a matter of gestures is frighteningly smooth. Although the film is a study of motive less acts, the general apathy with which characters perform their activities contra dicts tide idea that someone can simply choose to help another without any provo cation. Plusses and minuses aside, “Clock ers” is a raw, disturbing, and deeply mov ing film about the interaction of people who have perpetual and mutual contempt for one another. 9
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 21, 1995, edition 1
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