The Mummy Returns The 2001 Brendan Fraser blockbuster plays at the League. 8 p.m. Free. ARArwo9m Oak TS 0 michigandaily.com/arts WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 2002 5 Cliched 'Faith' will need just that to survive cancellation PaRappa's encore a disappointment for Playstation 2 By Jennifer Fogel Daily Arts Writer NBC has done it again: Placing an inept half hour comedy in the token "Must See TV Thursday" 8:30 - 9 p.m. timeslot between powerhouses "Friends" and "Will & Grace," where by the grace of the Ratings God, the show will only perform well because of said slot. Remember "Jesse?" That show lasted far beyond the usual turn for a bad sitcom. Now taking a turn in the coveted spot is "Leap of Faith," a fashionably lame comedy about another New York single girl who uses a close-knit group of friends to stand in for failed relationships with the opposite sex. Created by former "Sex in the City" producer Jenny Bicks, "Leap of Faith" combines the female machinations of Carrie and company with a poor use of references to classic comedies like "Laverne & Shirley." In last week's pre- miere episode, Faith (Sarah Paulson, "Jack & Jill") is about to marry David who seems like the perfect guy: "He's like a Volvo: Safe, reliable and popular." After a panic attack in Bergdorf's while picking china, Faith questions this new life set before her, in which she must change her entire lifestyle in order to a cc o m - mod ate h e r fianc6s old-fash- ione d be1i e fs . When she meets a hand - s o m e actor, Dan LEAP OF FAITH Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. NBC (Brad Rowe, "Wasteland"), during her time of crisis, but Patty's words of wisdom often run along the lines of why monogamy is bad and where the next "stud" will come from. The other two-dimensional characters rounding out the familiar foursome are the career-driven, married Calvin Klein executive Cynthia (Regina King, "Jerry Maguire"), and Rolling Stone reporter Andy (Ken Marino, last seen as Joey's professor on "Dawson's Creek"), who can only be described as a dog among men. While each friend has a different perspective for our fateful Faith, none of them appear to have any desire to actu- ally shape up their own lives, and they basically sit around drinking in the local bar trying to forget their troubles. While bits and pieces of genuine comedy appear now and then, there is no real regard for innovation, leaving only a "been there, done that" feel. The advertising agency that Faith and Patty work for is just as convoluted as the plot, made more so by the appearance of "Saturday Night Live" veteran Tim during a casting call for a commercial she wrote, Faith immediately becomes attracted to him ... yada, yada, yada ... they sleep together and poof ... no more wedding. Faith leans on her over-sexed gal pal Patty (Lisa Edelstein, "Ally McBeal") By Matt Grandstaff Daily Arts Writer Courtesy of NBC' Boy don't I look cute and canceled? Meadows. His dry sarcasm barely leaves an imprint in the profuse dreck that propagates within the show. Even the over the top, "casual" references to having sex ("sex hair," "mindless sex") are dull. Unfortunately, NBC has care- fully "handled the merchandise" with this one, and we can look forward to many more episodes of analyzing Faith and friends' flaws and sex drives. Skip the "Leap" and head to HBO for some real provocative sex talk. When Sony released "PaRappa the Rapper" for the original Playstation, many thought the game's idea was ridiculous. Using two-dimensional car- toon style graphics and silly rhymes, the game seemed destined for doom in America - where music themed videogames had previously failed. Nevertheless, "PaRappa" received praise from the press and gainers alike for its Simon-like gameplay (remember the old game with the different color bars you * had to hit?), quirky characters and hilari- PARAPP ous music. Since RAPPI "PaRappa," music themed games have For Playst become very popular Sony Comp in America, as seen from the success of games like "Frequency" and "UnJam- mer Lammy" (the semi-sequel to "PaRappa"). As a result of the growing demand for such games, it was just a matter of time before Sony released a true follow up to the game that rede- fined a genre. Unfortunately, "PaRap- pa the Rapper 2" for Playstation 2 nlavs like a broken record. PA E eta au Guthrie bnngs Wilderness' to Power By Autumn Brown Daily Arts Writer Although Eugene O'Neill is best known as a genius of dark theater, his play "Ah, Wilderness!" takes a somewhat nostalgic turn towards family values and coming of age sentiments. In O'Neill's own words, the play is "a sort of wishing out loud, the way I wished my boyhood had been." O'Neill's quasi-autobiographical comedy follows the story of a family's experience dealing with the growing pains of their teenage son, Richard, during the fate- ful summer of 1906. Guthrie Theater's production of "Ah! Wilder- ness" will perform this weekend at the Power Cen- ter with the hope that the audience will experience a blast from the past. Guthrie has been recognized on the international level as an organization devot- ed to educational programs as well as touring engagements. Recent productions by Guthrie The- ater include John Steinbeck's " Of Mice and Men" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream." "The play reaffirms American values, solid fam- ily life, responsibility to others, and bring up things on the mind of the national conscience," said Guthrie member Joe Delafield, who plays Richard Miller. Delafield began acting as a child in elementary school and continued to pursue acting in high school and received a M.A. in Theater at New York University. He has been cast in " All My Sons" by Arthur Miller, "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Waiting Room," but he admits that his favorite role is that of Richard Miller. Courtesy of Guthrie Theater "It'shat en alo ie ily in 'Ah, Wilderness!' been a long time since I was a 17-year old boy who's trying to fig- ure out his identity, but somehow I can really relate to the character and becoming the character - Richard has taught me a lot about myself," Delafield said. "It's something I can really AH, sink my teeth into." W~ ' SS Delafield credits the ILDERNESS. cast as one of the At the Power Center essential components Friday and Saturday at 8 which have made his pm. experience with the 'ickets: $18-40 company enjoyable. Available from UMS box "This production is office at 764-2538 fantastically cast. We University Musical Society get along, but we're going to be in close quarters while traveling. I don't foresee any prob- lems as of now. We're having a lot of fun." "Working at Guthrie Theater is a great regional theater start, but I'd love to do more. Also, I'd like to get to the point where I can stay in New York to be with my fianc6. It's tough being away," he said. Delafield, along with other cast members, will be conducting a workshop at the Ann Arbor Dis- tirict Library during the weekend of the perform- ances and perhaps other workshops in the area as well. "Ah, Wilderness!" is directed by Douglas C. Wagner, a freelance director and a play discussion and reception will precede the performances. Similar to the original, "PaRappa 2" revolves around the life of PaRappa, a hip-hop dog who wears a stocking cap, and his friends, which include a cat, a bear and a sunflower. But while the original game kept gainers wanting to play more to see if PaRappa would get the girl of his dreams, Sunny Funny, the storyline of "PaRappa the Rapper 2" will make gamers sick the same way eating a bunch of ramen noodles does. This makes sense as PaRappa's quest this time around is to stop Colonel Noodle from turning the world's food supply into noodles. This storyline definitely feels like a stretch and will k THE make you want to throw R 2 the game to your dog and say, "fetch." ition 2 In addition to having a ter Ent. storyline that is lame, the levels of "PaRappa 2" are sure to defame the hip- hop dog's name. Once again, PaRappa runs into difficult situations in which he's gotta believe by imitating the raps of hip-hop masters such as Chop Chop Master Onion and emcee King Kong Mushi. Sadly, these levels don't seem quite as unique or funny as the original, with many using the same or similar characters from the original. In addition, every level begins with PaRappa deciding he can beat the level by yelling, "I Gotta Believe!" And while fans of the first game could be heard repeating the each level's addicting tunes, those who do the same with this game might get their ass kicked by goons. Speaking of ass, "PaRappa 2" suf- fers from problematic gameplay that will leave garners not wanting to come back for another day. As in the original "PaRappa",and "UnJammer Lammy," the goal is to mimic the level masters' raps by pressing different buttons in a particular order. But unlike these games, "PaRappa 2" does require a whole lot of accuracy. Gamers are like- ly to beat the game in their first or sec- ond try, making them wish they hadn't paid $49.99. Courtesy of Sony Dog eat dog, brother, dog eat dog. Gem offers rush tix The Guthrie Theater cast portrays the comedic Miller fam Scenes' offers glimpse of post-college life By Jim Schiff Daily Fine/Performing Arts Editor By Julia Goldstein For the Daily At the end 'of the undergraduate experience, each of us is left with but one question to answer: now what? In her debut novel, "Making Scenes," Adrienne Eisen employs a spunky, independent, yet nameless woman to explore the possibilities of post-college life. From the first page, societal expectations are cast aside as Eisen's principal character begins, "I announce that I am no longer accepting money from my family. ... I write a letter to my advisor thanking him for all the honors-student-research-money he finagled for me during the last four years, and p.s. I withdrew all my applications to graduate school - I want to play professional beach vol- leyball." Fortunately for the suspecting reader, Eisen's work does not develop into a defiant rags-to-rich- es tale. Her heroine fails several times, in several ways. There are endless troubles involving work, love, as well as her physical and mental well being. The constant struggle enables readers to empathize with Eisen's generic first person narrator throughout her eccentric twists and turns. If the description so far remains vague, it is the strategic working of Eisen herself. She has structured the book so that the narrator's name is never revealed, even in the midst of several passages of dialogue pre- sented in screenplay form. This main character, without exception, refers to herself as "I" and is referred to by others as "you." Many concrete biographic details belt and I struggle to get loose." The audience is left wondering about the exact nature of this strange father/daughter relationship, or how the narrator herself feels about it. There are other similarly sex- ually twisted tails that remain unexplained MAKING throughout the novel. Since much of the By Adrie emotion of the work Alt X. remains on the sur- face, this book quickly becomes a plot driven romp through the life and times of a gutsy, yet anonymous woman. There are numerous twists of fate and changes of heart to keep things interesting. Eisen's narrator G' K-P has an affair with a married man, tests the waters of lesbianism, and steals thousands of dollars from the home furnishing favorite, Crate & Barrel. So much of the driving force behind the piece relies on the action of the story that SCENES it becomes weird, grotesque, and at times ne Eisen pornographic in its Press attempt to keep the pages turning. This woman, while lacking any interest in discussing her attraction to her father, or her bulimic hatred of her perfectly toned body, has absolutely no qualms about openly sharing her erotic encounters with a rubber spatula. With the wildness of her work, Eisen risks the alienation of her audience as it becomes too embarrassing at times for some readers to stay connected with the book. Amidst the eerie sexually explicit recounts there are some light-heart- ed moments reminiscent of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones. When end- ing an evening with her ex the nar- rator slams the car door. She recounts, "I do it dramatically, and when he drives away, I fall over because my beach bag is caught in the door." These tidbits are what salvage "Making Scenes" and offer a glimmer of hope for future Adri- enne Eisen works. The Detroit-based Gem and Century Theaters are offering student rush tick- ets to high school and college students. One hour prior to each performance, students can purchase these tickets at the Gem and Century Box Office, located on Madison Avenue in Detroit. These discounted tickets arrived just in time for the opening of two new plays, "Late Nite Catechism" at the Century Theatre and "Guys on Ice" at the Gem. A satire of Catholic Gram- mar School, "Catechism" is a hilarious interactive comedy, consisting of lec- ture, improvisation and question-and- answer sessions. The play was a favorite among Detroiters two years ago and has been brought back by demand for a second run. "Guys on Ice" explores the popular saying "There's more to fishing than just catching fish." This musical come- dy portrays three men who ponder deep topics such as beer, women and snowsuits over an ice fishing hole. In the same vein of humor as "Escanaba in da Moonlight," "Guys on Ice" is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. The Gem and Century Theatres are part of the historical Gem Theatre and Century Club Building in Detroit. The complex began in the late 1920s by The Twentieth Century Club, a group of socially prominent, culturally active women. Over the years the building has undergone numerous name changes and renovations, while still preserving its original, colorful brilliance. Rush tickets can be purchased by calling (313) 963-9800. I WM , ' ® 81z Leavi'ng Ann, Arbor The Gerald R. Ford School of the Gerald R. Ford Public Policy and Library are pleased to present: "Policies to Escape Recession: What Should We Do?" A lecture and panel discussion featuring: Edward M. Gramlich Governor, Federal Reserve Board Rebecca M. Blank Dean, Ford School of Public Policy , IN l~t MSq gay a 2f Ineed subletle 1 r Advertise it in The Michigan ;:,:t:, ; rhI. iIIUMflAlrQIlhA#4'AA. '° . .