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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, November 12, 2001 5 ’ THEY SAID IT WILLIAM FEATHER: “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” Actor/musician Jack Black proves himself a Wonder boy’ in two forms of entertainment At left: Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black star as Rosemary and Hal, respectively. Below: Black (center) with the directors of the his most recent release, Shallow Hal, Bobby and Peter Farrely. photos special to the gamecock Local artists to show work to boost art appreciation BY LAUREN VAUGHN THE GAMECOCK “What is art but a way of seeing?” These words from Thomas Berger intimate that today, and for many years to come, art will be questioned, scrutinized, expressed, shared and used as inspiration. Tonight, starting at 8 p.m. at the Hunter-Gatherer, 12 local artists will join to celebrate arts on a local level. The artists will bring their works, including art, music and spoken-word performances, to share with the public. Emily Ruiz, senior fine arts student at USC, planned the event. “A better awareness of the art world is always needed, and this art community, especially that of the art students at USC, can stand to be more active,” Ruiz said. “There is so much potential around here that just needs to be promoted and brought out to the public.” Ruiz has worked to support the arts for many years.She began planning this year’s event during the last year’s show. Each of the artists involved with the show spent a lot of time promoting it. In the show, “Art: A Gathering,” participants will mingle with guests, sharing then love for art. There is no particular thematic element, nor is there an artist or work in the spotlight. It will be a congregation of artists and their work assembled to enrich and include the public. All of the artists will portray then own concepts. “The artists chosen are just ‘a gathering’ of friends with the same hope of getting to the public,” Ruiz said. “I think the work chosen is more contemporary than what is normally shown in the galleries of Columbia and should be fresh and exciting to the public.” Funding for the event comes directly from the people involved, as do the resources for the reception. Other shows have been held at the Hunter Gatherer, and the venue serves the purpose well. The restaurant is closed on Monday evenings for regular patrons, but opens up, on occasions such as this to serve the artists and the community. “The arts are often seen as expendable when, in truth, they are the heartbeat and the soul of our society. These forms of expression are what keeps us human,” Ruiz said. She said her dream job would be to own and operate her own art gallery/music venue. The event is free and open to all ages. Free food will be provided, but donations will be accepted. The spoken-word performances will begin around 9 p.m. BY JUSTIN BAJAN THE GAMECOCK Jack Black is a definitive symbol of a subculture that doesn’t ready care about the glamour of Hollywood. But with Black’s recent emergence as a leading actor, Hodywood might start caring more about him. From his less-than-noticeable beginnings as a typecast oddball, Black has been in the business for more than a decade. Black’s role in Shallow Hal further proves his staying power. He’s getting even more attention as lead singer of Tenacious D, which he describes as “a Smothers Brothers for the Dungeons and Dragons misfits set.” Before he got into movies, Black played many entry-level roles. In 1989, at age 20, he played a skinhead in My So Called Life, and from then on continued to appear in a myriad of television shows, including Picket Fences, Touched by an Angel, The X-Files and Mr. Show. But Black’s list of movie credits outdoes his small-screen contributions. Black has enjoyed a consistent but unsuccessful film career that can be blamed on the lackluster movies, and not his acting skills. His first Hollywood role was in the 1992 Tim Robbins production, Bob Roberts. Other forgettable movies include Waterworld, Bio-Dome and The Never Ending Story III. But in 1996, Black advanced a little higher in the food chain when he took on roles in the Jim Carrey black comedy, The Cable Guy, and the Tim Burton sci-fi satire, Mars Attacks! Black’s subtle progress led him to be selected for a role that best captured his personality and gave him sufficient screen time to convey it. That role was Barry, the record store employee at Championship Vinyl, in the notable Gen-X staple High Fidelity. In the movie, the audience gets to see Black unveil his playful demeanor as he moans and croons as a singer of a cover band. Until this point, Black had never gotten the chance to expose onscreen his versatility as an entertainer, but after his comedic antics in this movie, a famous set of brothers took notice. Architects of a brand of humor that jolted movie fans in 1994 with the hilarious comedy that celebrated ignorance, Dumb and Dumber, the Farrelly brothers recruited Black to play Hal Larsen in Shallow Hal. In order to assume the role, Black shorn his defining unconditioned locks and shaved his grisly facial hair. For the first time, Black plays a dynamic character who evokes sympathy, not just laughs. Jack Black is a complex person who has established himself as a reputable entertainer. His newest foray is a musical collaboration with Kyle Gass, called Tenacious D. The duo released an album earlier in the year, and the first single, “Wonder Boy,” can be heard and seen daily. THEATER PREVIEW Aquila brings unique take on play BY KRISTEN THOMAS THE GAMECOCK On Monday, Nov. 12, the world-renowned Aquilia Theatre Company will perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Roger Center. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. One of the last and most intricate works of Shakespeare, The Tempest examines human behavior as it strives for utopia. In a beguiling, metaphoric world, the magician Prospero skillfully manipulates three groups of lost travelers as they plot for supremacy of the island. Covering the universal themes of love, enslavement, murder and greed, Shakespeare weaves a dramatic web linking the strands of what defines us as human. Heralded by the New York Times as “an extraordinarily inventive and disciplined outfit,” the Aquila Theatre Company will bring its ensemble acting techniques, imaginative staging, original music and Shakespearean expertise as it retells the compelling story of Prospero, Miranda, Caliban and Ariel. Founded by Peter Meineck in 1991, The Aquila Theatre Company is known internationally as one of the foremost producers of touring classical theater. Company members have experience in all facets of the contemporary New York Broadway and British theater scenes. Aquila’s previous North American tours have included The Odyssey /The Comedy of Errors, 1998-99; King Lear/The Iliad/Oedipus Tyrannus, 1999 -00; Much Ado About Nothing/Cyrano De Bergerac, 200001. Aquila’s highly original and imaginative production of The Tempest will unify superb theatrical skill with the poignancy, verve and grace of Shakespeare’s beautiful language to delight audiences with one of Shakespeare’s truly great plays. THE CHARTS Top 10 Movies Figures are for the weekend of Nov. 9-11. MOVIE BOX OFFICE 1. Monsters, Inc. $46.2 million 2. Shallow Hal $23.3 million 3. The One $9.1 million 4. Domestic$8.5 million 5. Heist $8.0 million 6. K-PAX _$6.2 million 7. 13 Ghosts_$4.2 million 8. Life as a House $3.7 million 9. Riding in Cars... $2.1 million ia Training Day~ $1.9 million Top 10 Albums Figures are for the week of Oct. 30 Nov. 5. TITLE ARTIST 1. Invincible_Michael Jackson 2. Escape _Enrique Iglesjas^ 3. TheGreatDepression dmx 4.77ie Hits ~Chapter One BSB 5. A Day Without Rain Enya 6. Silver Side Up Nickelback 7. God Bless America Various 8. Pain is LoveJa Rule 9. [Hybrid Theory] Linkin Park 10. Morning View Incubus Music Play stimulates toddlers’ creativity BY KAMILLE BOSTICK THE GAMECOCK Still in diapers, some more fascinated by the outlet covers than the drums and the brightly colored pieces of cloth, they seemed to enjoy the staccato rhythms and flowing movements their moms were making. Not even three years old yet, the 10 toddlers in Music Play are already developing an appreciation for music and increasing their musical abilities, whether they know it or not. Based on Dr. Edwin Gordon’s 56 years of research, Music Play gives young children exposure to music of all kinds. From birth until age Two Infants have fun In Music Play, photo by michelle dosson five, it’s believed that children have a natural inclination toward music. Meeting this desire through informal music guidance as early as possible can help young children in all stages of their development. Sounds echo through the childproofed room. Simple melodies, basic harmonies and the always-appropriate lullaby keep the roaming children happily bobbing and occasionally singing along. The sessions last only half an hour, but the music becomes very familiar to them over time. Every week for nine weeks, they’re exposed to tonal and rhythm patterns that they’ll be able to recognize later. These classes will stay with them. Hardly any words are spoken. The beats and music made from body and instruments are often the only sounds in the'room. Instructor Ming Tu, a graduate student, said Music Play teaches “pure music,” which allows the children to learn one thing at a time. It’s a lesson in introduction and reinforcement. The group of teachers and caregivers repeats every sound a child makes and then makes another sound to encourage repetition and innovation. “By singing songs and chants with different tonal patterns, we teach the very basic elements of music,” Tu said. The children seem to enjoy these lessons. Music Play gives them a chance to be curious and experimental. They’re stimulated at every moment by sight, sound or movement. It takes a few weeks to begin to see effects of the sessions. The children are “building a vocabulary,” Tu said. The parents are just as excited as their sons and daughters. Though their reasons for enrolling their children va> y, the chance to bond was evident. Laughter and hugs caused by moms’ singing and dancing with their children were common throughout the room. In the program, there’s something for everyone. “Even the parents learn musicianship, and the children learn from the adults. They see their mom singing and chanting, and it makes music making acceptable,” Tu said. Tu said the goal of Music Play isn’t necessarily to create future musicians, though that wouldn’t be discouraged, but rather to enrich the children’s lives and give them skills for growth. “Once they get in elementary school, we want them to be prepared on a musical level like a child would on a speaking level.” Tu said. “Exercises like Music Play are a very important step between listening and singing.” USC’s Children’s Music Development Center presents Music Play sessions three times a year. The fall and spring sessions last nine weeks, the summer session seven weeks.