Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 October 2005 — Page 21

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C SECTION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2005

An appreciation: August Wilson (1945-2005) By THULANI DAVIS From AOL Black Voices

“By writing about Black people, you are not limiting yourself. The experiences of African Americans are as wide open as God s closet.”

August Wilson - August Wilson.

August Wilson, one of America’s greatest playwrights, died Sunday of liver cancer at the age of 60. With his announcement in August that inoperable liver cancer left him only a few months to live, many began to mourn not only the loss of the man but also the many years he may have continued to produce his critically acclaimed work. Wilson also left a host of rare accomplishments in American theater - a Tony award for best play, six Tony nominations for best play, two Pulitzer Prizes and seven New York Drama Critics’ Circle awards. As an African-American artist, he broke numerous barriers and raised the bar for excellence; as a leader in his field, he raised vital issues concerning the role of Black playwriting and production in the broader American theatrical mainstream. Wilson’s plays, such as “Fences,” (1987), “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” (1988), “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” (1982) and “Seven Guitars” (1996), were characterized by majesty and lyricism. They were sprawling, and yet intimate, sometimes unbuttoned and yet, in the hands of actors, marked by scenes that were often like a tightly riffed jazz set. The playwright recently completed a project of 20 years - a 10-play cycle exploring African-American life in each decade of the 2 Oth century. This ambitious project came to completion only in the past few weeks with the Los Angeles production of “Radio Golf,” the final work in the cycle. “Inanincrediblyshort amount of time,” says playwright and director George C. Wolfe, “August Wilson redefined the American theatrical canon.” One facet of Wilson’s impact is “in terms of stories told of American stage,” according to Wolfe. “In the tradition of American playwrights, Eugene O’Neill, and Arthur Miller in particular, he found the ways in which the small

American stories were mythic, potent and elegant enough to rival any European playwrights. And he had an incredible love ofblack American language that will continue to be thrilling for decades to come.” Born Frederick August Kittel in 1945 in Pittsburgh, a city whose impoverished Hill section became home to many ofhis characters, Wilson was one of the six children of Frederick August, a baker, and Daisy Wilson Kittel, a domestic worker. One of the driving forces behind his work, according to interviews, was his conviction that his generation of African Americans were not told much about the past of earlier generations. Wilson dropped out of school at 16 and was educated by his hometown libraries and the street corners of Pittsburgh. He joined the Army for a short stint and had various odd jobs from porter to short-order cook. Among other influential experiences was his discovery of blues music. His work, which so notably reflects his knowledge of African-American expression, revels in the blues aesthetic. In 1965, the year his father died, he got a used typewriter, began writing poetry and changed his name to August Wilson. His life in the theater began three years later when he co-founded the Black Horizon Theater in Pittsburgh. His first play, “Jitney,” was written in 1979. In 1982, Wilson worked with the late director Lloyd Richards for the first time, and began to emerge as a mature artist. On Oct. 16, the Virginia theater on Broadway, will be renamed the August Wilson Theater, an honor given to only a few of the greatest artists of American theater such as Eugene O’Neill, Richard Rodgers and Helen Hayes. Wilson is survived by his wife, Constanza Romero, a costume designer, their daughter Azula Carmen, and his daughter by a previous marriage, Sakina Ansari.

By BRANDON A. PERRY Staff Writer

It’s amazing how music can alter the mood of an individual, or change the atmosphere of an entire room of people. Hearing the right song can make the difference in how you spend the rest of your day (or evening). Through four decades of “quiet storm” radio formats, a large but elite class of R&B artists have used smooth, enchanting grooves to foster some of life’s most romantic and intimate experiences. Time Life’s “Body & Soul Collection” is a IO-CD set that captures some of the best jams in the classic soul catalog from artists representing each decade of music since the 1960s. The collection offers CDs oflove songs with titles ranging from “Tender Moments” and “Love Undercover” to “Wedding Songs” and “Christmas.” Viewers who have seen the advertisements on television know that the entire series can be purchased at once during Time Life’s “infomercial,” but many are not aware that individual discs from the set are available at local record stores. This summer Time Life released the 18track “Body & Soul Platinum,” an effort to highlight only the best songs in the series. Indeed, this “platinum” installment comes on very strong, offering blissful, irresistible gems like Smokey Robinson’s “Being with You” (1981), Atlantic Starr’s 1986 hit “Secret Lovers,” “Here andNow”by Luther Vandross (1989) and 197l’s“If I Were Your Woman” by Gladys Knight and the Pips. There’s something here for multiple gen-

erations, from 1973’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes to K-Ci and JoJo’s “All My Life” (1998). One of the few problems I had with “Body and Soul Platinum” is the omission of songs from Time Life’s series that should have been on this release, especially “You Are My Starship” by Norman Connors, Angela Bofill’s “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and Ray, Goodman & Brown’s “Special Lady.” Also, it’s a no-no to have a disc of “greatest love songs” without anything by the Isley Brothers, the O’Jays, Al Green, Sade, Teddy Pendergrass or Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel. But I recognize Time Life had an awesome task in choosing from so many performers, and I must say that the material you do get from this CD is definitely essential to your collection.

Oprah will help sell The Color Purple'

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NEW YORK (AP) - With the name “Oprah Winfrey” now attached to the stage version of “The Color Purple,” the upcoming Broadway musical has a powerful presence to help sell the show. Celebrity producers, and they don’t come much bigger than Winfrey, are rare on or off-Broadway, but they can give a show a visibility that hopefully translates into ticket sales. And Winfrey, a media empire all her own, has several important outlets, including her popular syndicated TV talk show as well as her magazine O. The musical, based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-win-ning novel of one determined woman’s triumph over adversity, opens Dec. 1 at the Broadway Theatre. Preview performances begin Nov. 1. “Oprah Winfrey putting her name on ‘The Color Purple’ is great for the show, of course, but also great for all of Broadway,” says Nancy Coyne, head of Serino, Coyne, Broadway’s largest advertising and marketing agency. “It draws attention to the theater and, because Oprah ► See PURPLE, C6

14fh annual Heartland Film Feslival, Ocl. 13-21 Special to the Recorder

The Wiz actor Nipsey Russell dies at 80 NEW YORK (AP) - Nipsey Russell, who played the Tin Man alongside Diana Ross and Michael Jackson in “The Wiz” as part of a decades-long career in stage, television and film, has died. He was 80. The actor, who had been suffering from cancer, died Sunday afternoon at Lenox Hill Hospital, said his longtime manager Joseph Rapp. Born in Atlanta, Russell launched his television career as Officer Anderson in the 1961 television series “Car 54, Where Are You?” He also appeared in the 1994 film version. He became a fixture on popular television game and talk shows, where he was welcomed for his poetic delivery that earned him the moniker the “poet laureate of television.” He also took his signature four-line poetry on the road for readings and

performances.

Russell also appeared in the films “Nemo” in 1984, “Wildcats” in 1986 and “Posse” in 1993. He settled in New York after graduating from the University of Cincinnati and serving as an Army captain in Europe during World War

II, Rapp said.

Russell never married. “He always said, T have trouble living with myself, how could I live with anyone else,”’ Rapp said. “But he was a wonderful guy, very quiet, never bragged.”

Nipsey Russell

Actors Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Rudy,”), Dakota Fanning (“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story,” “War of the Worlds”), Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and Bill Paxton (“The Greatest Game Ever Played,” “Twister,” “Apollo 13”) are among a star-studded list of guests scheduled to attend the 14th annual Heartland Film Festival, Oct. 13-21. These actors, filmmakers, industry insiders and special guests, connected to Festival films and events, represent the finest in filmmaking talent from

across the world.

The 2005 Festival also features an exciting lineup of special events and screenings for film buffs of all ages. It will kick off Oct. 13 in Hollywood style with an opening night premiere of DreamWorks’“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story” with Fanning and Director/Screenwriter John Gatins (“Coach Carter”) scheduled to arrive on the red carpet and will close Oct. 21 with a special screening of “Duma” with Director Carroll Ballard (“The

Black Stallion”).

Heartland Film Festival honors films that celebrate the best aspects of the human journey. For more than a decade, the goal of Heartland has remained the same: to make a positive impact on American culture through film and to | encourage moviegoers to see life differ-

ently.

Limited special event tickets are available now through Oct. 10. Screening tickets available at the theaters during the Festival and at select Central Indiana Marsh Supermarkets. For more information call toll-free 1-866-HFF-1010 or visit www.heartlandfilmfestival.com.

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