The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 35, Ed. 1, Friday, February 10, 2006 Page: 5 of 8

                                
ArtsFriday
Optimist
February 10 2006
Par5
Figures (or the week-
end of February 3-5 In
millions. Total grosses in
parenthesis.
1. When a Stranger
Calls-$21.6 (new)
2. Big Momma's
House 2 -$13.6
($45.7)
3. Nanny
Mcflnee-$9.8
($26.5)
4. Brokeback Moun-
tain -$6 ($60.1)
5. Hoodwinked-$5.3
($44.1)
6. Underworld: Evolu-
tion -$5.3 ($53)
7. Something
New -$4.9 (new)
8. Annapolis-$3.4
($12.9)
9. Waft Me Une-$3.3
($110.6)
70. The Chronicles of
Namia: The Uon
the Witch and the
Wardrobe-$3.1
($281.9)
Curfous George
(G) - starring the voices
of Will Ferrell Drew 
Barrymore; directed by
Matthew O'Callaghan.
A cartoon depiction of
the inquisitive monkey
and his friend the man in
the yellow hat.
Final Destination 3
(R)- starring Mary
Elizabeth Winstead Ryan
Merriman; directed by
James Wong.
An unnecessary movie.
Bronte's brooding moors brought to stage
it I RJL IMntty MM IWH NT
By BLYTHE THOMPSON
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Jane Eyre will draw back
the Fulks Theatre curtains at
8 p.m. Thursday for her open-
ing night.
ACU's Theatre Department
will perform the musical Jane
Eyre for Its winter dinndr the-
atre production which opens
the same weekend as the 50th
anniversary of Sing Song.
Show nights are Feb. 16-17
24-25 and March 3-4
Tickets prices vary; play-
only tickets cost SI 5 but to
attend dinner and show the
price will be S2 7.
Dinner seating is planned
to begin at G:45 p.m. and will
be catered by Brlarstone.
For students interested in
attending the play but lack
the money half- priced tick-
ets will be available on a first
MENTION THIS AD AND RECIEVE
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Focus Features provides 'Something' to
By SARAH CARLSON
AimEimoit 
Despite their predictabil-
ity and happy endings that
arc dangerous to our mental
and emotional well-being we
can't help but be drawn to ro-
mantic movies.
Sure romantic comedies
arc great for escapism but no
matter how many times TBS
reruns Sleepless in Seattle the
likelihood of someone having a
crosscountry connection with
his or her own Tom Hanks or
Meg Ryan only to meet on top
of the Empire State Building on
Valentine's Day Is slim.
While Something New
doesn't have as grand a finale
or a what-are-the-odds plot
like Seattle the film does paint
a fresh face on a threadbare
genre and manages to approach
racial Issues with integrity and
bellevabllity.
We begin with Kenya Mc-
Queen (.Lathan) the epitome of
a single A-type workaholic who
wears suits on the weekend
and focuses on climbing the
corporate accounting ladder.
The color pallet of her newly
purchased Los Angeles house
consists of white beige and
tan and she can easily recite
a list of qualities she's looking
for In the perfect maa
Seeing Kenya as cry for help
one of her engaged coworkers
sets her up on a blind date in
hopes of initiating Kenya with
a life outside of work. While
standing awkwardly at her lo-
cal Starbucks the next week-
end her blind date Brian ap-
proaches from behind and asks
If she's waiting for him. Upon
JflMEyn
8pm. Feb. 16-1724-25
and March 3-4 In the Fulks
Theatre
Tickets: play-only are $15
dinner and show are $27.
For tickets call 674-2787
come first served basis only
from 6:30 - 8 p.m. each per-
formance night.
After beginning rehearsals
In early January the cast and
crew are now packing prac-
tices in from 7-11 p.m. Mon-
day through Friday and 9:30
a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturday.
"Sundays are usually re-
served as a day of rest" said
Ben Jeffrey senior theatre
major from Kansas City Mo.
To ready herself for the
upcoming role of Jane Ju-
liette Moore senior theatre
major from Winter Garden
Fla. read the novel Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte listened
to the music from the play
and dutifully memorized the
91535 & am RM JILL
Something New
AAA
Rated: W-13 (tor sexual
references)
Sanaa Lathan Simon Baker
Donald Falson AHre Woodard
Oracled by:
Sanaa Hamrl
Release Date:'
Feb. 3
seeing her date she's taken
aback and probably considers
bolting but eventually agrees
to sit down and talk but not
for long.
Is he unattractive? Hardly;
he's gorgeous. Kenya's prob-
lem? Brian is white and she is
black. Brian seems open to the
idea of inter-racial dating but
Kenya's planned out life only
involves finding her IBM Ideal
Black Maa After a rude depar-
ture the two split ways.
Not too long after the di-
sastrous blind date Kenya
and Brian run Into each other
at Kenya's coworker's engage-
ment party at her parent's
house. Kenya compliments her
friend's mother on the beauti-
ful landscaping and she insists
she meet her architect Brian.
Though he's not pleased to see
her he agrees to look at Ke-
nya's disheveled backyard and
then to work for her.
Brian used to be a suit work-
ing long hours at an ad agency
script. Whenever the actress
said she would hit a "brick
wall" In production Moore
kept the novel close at hand
to gain more Insight into the
scene.
Jane Eyre is a story about
an orphaned girl who flees
from an evil aunt and be-
comes a teacher. She falls
In love with Edward Fairfax
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Kenya (Sanaa Lathan) left and Brian (Simon Baker) right embrace In Something New the new romantic comedy
from Focus Features now in theatres.
but found his life unfulfilled. As
a child Brian had been interest-
ed in botany and architecture.
He decided to make the switch
to owning his own landscaping
business when he realized he
spent more time caring for the
plants in his office than on any
of his accounts. He hikes has
a dog drives a loud truck and
doesn't mind dirt.
As Kenya's new backyard
begins to blossom with Brian
adding new flowers and foun-
tains so too does Kenya's per-
sonality. Color creeps Into her
wardrobe and home decor as
she lets her guard down and
welcomes Brian and his relaxed
nature into her life.
The answer to Kenya's cry
Rochester Jeffrey's charac-
ter and plans to wed him but
is met with his past mistakes
that cause her to flee again.
After acquiring a large Inheri-
tance she reconciles with her
true love.
Jeffrey and Moore are not
new to the theatre having
a combined play tally of 22
previous plays. That number
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for help the two begin a ro-
mance that forces each to re-
consider their preconceived
notions of what their ideal
relationship and partner is
as well as confront their Indi-
vidual prejudices against each
other's race. While Brian being
the only white person at black
gatherings is at times played
for laughs a serious underly-
ing tension runs throughout
the film that forces the viewer
to evaluate his Ideas along with
the characters.
Additional insight comes
from viewing Kenya's wealthy
family and friends all of whom
have climbed to the top of their
respective fields. Alfre Wood-
ard is wonderful as Kenya's
in musical
does not Include the plays
where they have worked be-
hind the scenes which is re-
quired of every theatre major.
Even though this Isn't Moore's
first leading role she said
"it's definitely the biggest."
Some may remember Jef-
frey from last year's Sing
Song production when he
performed as a host.
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mother who only wants the
best for her daughter but In
him has to consider whether
her ideal vision for Kenya Is
what she really needs.
A Focus Features production
and directed by Sanaa Hamrl
Something New has more edge
style and bellevabllity than
most recent romantic com-
edies and in truth disproves
what most In the genre make
you fall for. you don't need to
fly to the Empire State Build-
ing to find your "true" love. By
moving past the silly notions of
love and embracing life's pos-
sibilities you needn't look fur-
ther than your own backyard.
'Jane Eyre'
On the last week before
opening night practices In-
crease with dress rehearsals
and final anxlousness will set
in among the whole cast and
crew Jeffrey said.
"It gets busy and some-
times even frantic" he said.
"But it's always awesome."
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