8 - The Michigan Daily - Weekend etc. - Thursday, March 16, 1995 Cuba Gooding Jr. makes a break for it By Joshua Rich Daily Arts Writer He has not starred in many popu- lar films nor has he gained great fame in the motion picture industry. But the record and fine acting ability of Cuba Oooding Jr. prove him to be an excep- tion to the commonly-held belief that movie stars can only be truly popular and talented after they star in a series of successful and famous movies. In his short career, Gooding has enlightened, inspired and intrigued many an audience member through a convincing, down-to-earth acting style. Occasionally cast simply be- cause he is black, this actor has gradu- ally risen to perform in roles that cradle his acting ability rather than skin color. Although the amount of films in which he has performed is low and the quality ofmovies on Gooding's resum6 is inconsistent, viewing his perfor- mances in a number of motion pictures repeatedly proves that he is an excel- lent and respectable actor. Most will remember Gooding for his heartfelt and vivid portrayal of Tre, the protagonist in director John Singleton's outstanding film "Boyz N the Hood" (1991). As a handsome and intelligent young black man grow- ing up in South Central Los Angeles forced to suffer the pressures of his criminal peers and strict father, Gooding allowed his audience to have a very real glimpse into the life of a teenager in the inner-city. Moreover, his candid performance led us to sympathize with Tre and join him in his fight to succeed. Gooding took a simple character out of a movie script and made him real, giving Tre a soul, emotions and goals in life. It is a great testament to this actor that the most memorable scene in this movie was when Tre stood defiant against an abusive police officer, even whilea tearran slowly down the actor's cheek. Following "Boyz N the Hood," Gooding appeared in five movies in 1992, although none were very memo- rable. In "Hitz," "Murder without Motive" and "Gladiators: Bare Knuckles" - all movies that were made for videocassette release or did not last long in the theaters - he filled his respective parts as a young, generally misbehaving black man suffering or abused in a world domi- nated by white people. He also ap- peared briefly in the military court- room drama "A Few Good Men" as a noble soldier testifying against his fellow servicemen. But Gooding's finest and, perhaps most memorable performance of the year came in the HBO made-for-cable movie "Daybreak." Starring with Moira Kelly ("The Cutting Edge") he played the leader of a rebellious force of people in a future world dominated by a medical bureaucracy which fears a deadly virus. From this point, Gooding proved that he could remain a solid, convincing performer while acting in a non-race-specific role in a non-racially-motivated motion pic- ture. Ever since, his parts have been more major and less dependent on Gooding's black skin color. In each case, he has continually proven him- self to be an adept performer. He starred in the relatively successful action flick "Judgment Night" (1993) in which he played one of four friends hunted by an evil gang lord (Denis Leary) after witnessing a murder. And he played the clumsy sidekick of Paul Hogan ("Crocodile Dundee") in the western comedy "Lightning Jack" (1994), a critical and box-office failure - most likely due to a bad plot rather than any one actor's performance. Gooding has, despite the limited success of his films, clearly gained recognition as atalented actor in Holly- wood following his limited yet excep- tional appearances in his endeavors over the past few years. Thus, he stars in one of the lead roles in this month's major action thriller, "Outbreak," be- side such talented film veterans as Dustin Hoffman, Donald Sutherland and Morgan Freeman. And his recog- nition as an able performer is most appropriate. There is no question that amidst such high quality company Gooding emerges as a truly intelligent and capable actor. He succeeds in de- veloping and conveying an exciting portrayal of a naive soldier forced to cope with an intense and deadly situa- tion. As in most of his performances of the past, Cuba Gooding Jr. instills into his role in "Outbreak" a keen sense of emotion that instantly cap- tures the hearts and minds of his audi- ence. This performance succeeds nei- ther as a result of his skin color nor in spite of the popular or critical recep- tion of the film in which it is con- tained. It is a triumph because of the outstanding ability of this actor, and we may only hope that it will become the awaited point from which Gooding launches into stardom. Cuba Gooding Jr. In 'Lightning Jack,' with Paul Hogan and the babeliscious Beverly D'Angelo. MAIN STAGE Continued from page 1. to the show's advantage. The first half, though a similar structure, didn't quite capture the same intensity and drive. The set and layout of the theater suits the accelerated conditions well. The audience sits at tables in a tiered semi-circle around the thrust stage, so everyone has a good seat. A series of versatile black screens are the actors' only "set," and the screens slide to become doors, windows or entrance ways, depending on what the scene dictates. All of the wonderful sets and direc- tion, however, would be of no conse- quence without a stellar cast. The cast is totally immersed in the production pro- cess; they not only act every show, but also write all of the material. Perhaps the scene that represents Second City best is, "Open Mike Night at Auschwitz," where a struggling comedian attempts to entertain the prisoners in the concentration camp. While the subject matter sounds sick and offensive, the cast pulls it off in a manner that is sensitive, and more importantly, hilarious. Though this may sound like an odd night of comedy, the cast makes us find the truth in every scene, and allows us to laugh at the aspects of ourselves that we recognize in even Amazin' Blue, Presents With special guest: u ts eelze u s Saturday, March 18th 8PM Rackham Auditorium Tickets $6.00 available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office and all Ticketmaster Outlets. Call 763-TKTS for more information TOURING Continued from page theater, they discover a clown, the last remaining human, that had man- aged to be preserved. In an attempt to cheer up the clown, all three begin sucking the helium from the clown's tank. While their voices are distorted from the helium, they go into a song expounding the virtues of their Nobel gas of choice. Believe me, you haven't lived until you've seen two cockroaches and a clown sucking down helium and try- ing to sing. The evening also includes a song about how much each cast member hates eating liver, a dysfunctional fam- ily that tries to solve its problems with the help of a TV, and an ethnic block party that dissolves into a rousing chorus number that demands no more foreigners be allowed into the coun- try. The evening closed with Second City's trademark improvisation seg- ment, during which the cast took au- dience suggestions and spontaneously created scenes around those sugges- tions. While the rest of the evening was terrific, this was perhaps the best part of the show, as it reaffirmed just how talented and funny this Com- pany is. Though newly formed, the cast works extraordinarily well as an en- semble and looks like they've been together for years. Their timing and play off each other accentuates each cast member's strengths, creating a finely-tuned appearance, despite a short and fast-paced rehearsal pro- cess. This is a credit not only to the actors themselves, but also to director John Holston for assembling such a diverse group of comedians who complement each other so well. While there are no "stars" in the Touring Company, there are some standouts. Joshua Funk, the youngest member of the troupe, came across as a seasoned veteran. His comic energy and physical comedy begs compari- son to the likes of Second City alums Jim Belushi and Chris Farley. Also notable is Peter Gray, who seemed to be at his best in the improv, coming across with one-liner afterone- the strangest circumstance. The cast works exceptionally well together; all are capable of blending into the background or standing out, yet they carry it as an ensemble. Like all good ensembles, there is. no frontman (or woman) and no one person that gets the lion's share of the jokes. Their comedic bombardment is a full team effort and leaves the audience nearly stunned at the end of the evening. liner, ready to jump in at any second and take the scene in a new direction Theentirecompany deserves praise for creating one of the best nights o comedy in recent memory. The mate- rial is intelligent and funny, the deliver- ies are fast-paced and well-timed, and there was never a dull moment. At just six dollars a ticket, it is one of the few, entertainment bargains left out there. You should catch this group soon, be fore their enormous talent elevates themri to bigger and better things. I V / alu IISll OVI w I Ann Arbor's Biggest Modern Rock Dance Party i Paul Mitchell - Rusk Hair Shop Weekend etc. says: Have you talked to your plants lately? If you have, you need some friends. 0 O VF .5Ill r G IANI EN N11 Np this SaturdayU Personalized Graduation Announcements! A I I I