OUTSIDE 15

Wassup outsiders, this is your 411er ma'atology here. Well things were a little slow this past weekend. I didnt too much. My big report was going to be on the Millions More Movement in Washington DC but for some reason I didnt feel it this year for going to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of the Million MAn MArch. I attended the one 10 years ago and let me tell you, it was definitely visible glory (as a matter of fact, visible glory is the title of book I co-write with former colleagues Eugene B. Redmond and Sherman Fowler in 1998--you can reach the SIUe English Dept for a copy if you want to peep it out!). I was geared to go the day after I saw Farrakhan in St. Louis at the Orpheum, three weeks ago, but I just didnt feel the momentum of going (The wedge issue this time around was the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and tragedy and how USA did not respond quick enough to the victims). I saw some of the live telecast on C-SPAN last Saturday where all of the black dignarities from Jesse Jackson to Cornell West got their time to shine on the Capitol Mall podium about what is needed for black people. From what I gathered, they had a big turnout, but I gues now that I am 10 years older and a lot more wiser, I think the reason why I didn't go was because it is time for action. Yes, it is a movement, a spiritual movement , that connects all black people across the world and a March to Washington is just face value, now its time for action.... In the meantime, I went to a couple of events that were more arts driven. Saturday afternoon, I audioned for an action play in St. Charles that looks pretty good as far as getting a part in it. DAC Productions was holding the auditions for two major motion pictures to be filmed in St. Louis next month. I was auditioning fo rteh film, BUDDY GUARD - this film is about Louis Mckenny a 36 year old man with the mind of a child. And Steven Rike his reluctant and want to be body gaurd. Steven and Louis are thrown together through a series of events. Now they must work together and learn from each other in order to survive. This film has been called an Action, comedy drama. I did a 2 minute monologue from my prologue of play I helpe dto produce and direct called MANALOGUE, about four black men for the East ST. Louis and I acted out all four parts, the hip-hop thug, the buppy, the pimp and the war war vet. I got mad claps for it and I read from the script (that had some typos in teh script BTW) and was asked if I was available next month, the Saturday After Thanksgiving. They said they would give me a call this week, so I will keep you posted on this (AND ITS A PAID GIG, TOO). That nite, I attended the opening of a small play called Trois Jeux Corts (That's three short plays in French) that I reveiwed for KDHX Radio (I t aired this past Wednesday on 88.1). It was a hodge podge of three stories about a man who needed purpose in life called All Trains West Have Passed, a doe-eyed teen who travels to Ruby , Arizona to meet her boyfriend and his off the wall commune before she heads west to school called Ruby Arizona, and a story about a heating and cooling guy who is secretly a SUperHero, the Emerald Sting, who fights off zombie sand hsi secret hideway his in his basement called Sequential heart. I liek dthe Woody Allenesque feel of each play. From improv, to farce, to existentialism (Mmm, hows that for a word). I saw it at Tin Ceiling, locate don teh corner of Cherokkee and Compton in South St. LOuis. Its a hole in teh wall, that seats about 50 and it is definitely an off-Fox Theatre production. I love little theatres like that because actors and plyawrights can produce whatever they want and not have to worry about advertisers having to tell them what they will sponsor in order for a theater company or production to hit the stage. Speaking of theatre, it was good to se ethatteh late August Wilson had a theater renamed in his honor in Virginia. That was really outstanding. He was definitely a pioneer in the live arts and the first to have his decade cycle of plays about black life and the first black to be honored with a theater in his name. His works from Ma Raineys Black Btoom to Fences to Jitney will live on in infamy....this past Wednesday I went to the grand opening of the Black rep's new office facility located at 1717 Olive Street. It is very roomy and spacey and much needed. They were housed at the Health District across from the Fox Theatre. They also had free food (salmon, stuffed mushrooms) and alcohol (wone and beer) and gift bags for its patrons. Black rep Touring Company also did a little song excerpt from their upcoming traveling season for thsoe in attendance. In the house were Ron Himes, Katrina (former Partline sista), Fire Chief Sherman George, Rudy Nickens, Corneulis Davis, Kevin Rolston, Marsha Cann, Starsky Wilson, and Simcah... Oh, Kam was out of town this past week visiting his hometwon of Omaha to celebrate his 28th, H-B-day bruh man. Also that nite, I went to the crib to check out Noah's Arc, the season premiere of the drama series that aired on the LOGO Network. If youre not familiar, Noah's Arc is a story about four black gay guys who deal with life, love and friendship in the heart of Los Angeles. Its actually quite good. Its kind of like Queer as Folk meets SOul Food. Good acting, believable characters. I read on bet.com that the producer of that show Patrick Ian Polk is calling Kanye West's record label Rocka a Fella homophobic because they turned down Polk's request of using Kanye's music in the show. What is really going on? It is 2005 and black people, of all people, should not be trying to discriminate. We have so much other stuff to deal with like racism, unemloyment, inner city crime and health issues. Let's not advocate hate and celebrate our people of all hues, religoius beliefs and sexual prefernces and images. What were Rock aFeklla peopel afraid of--getting outed? Hmmmm.

Anyway, that is it for me. This week, I will attend soem of the Book Fair at the Muny, attend another play called Taffetas at the Broadway Center for teh Arts in Belleville, and Joel King's stage reading at COCA and anything else that may happen in between that I am allowed to report. Oh and the CARDS put up a good fight. Good luck next year in the new stadium.