IS HE ACTING LIKE HE MEANS IT?Byline: - Evan Henerson THE GULF between storytelling and stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. can be wafer-thin or as wide as a landfill. In his autobiographical showcase, ``The Blacker the Berry the Sweeter the Juice,'' writer/performer Mario Burrell offers memories and mimicry mimicry, in biology, the advantageous resemblance of one species to another, often unrelated, species or to a feature of its own environment. (When the latter results from pigmentation it is classed as protective coloration. . Often it feels like his material belongs at the Improv, not on a dramatic stage. So an attractive, light-skinned black man from Woodland Hills with poise and obvious talent decides to become an actor and discovers he's not an easy fit in Hollywood. Well and good, if hardly shocking. Along the way, he gives us memorable and comic encounters with people on his journey: his grandfather, a kindergarten instructor with whom he teaches and a street teen. The portrayals are diverse, clever, occasionally poignant and - it seems - utterly random. Burrell and director James McNeil might give some thought to structure and shaping. Gauging audience response on this one might be a difficult proposition, since the kindergarten teacher was in the audience opening night with friends who were cackling cack·le v. cack·led, cack·ling, cack·les v.intr. 1. To make the shrill cry characteristic of a hen after laying an egg. 2. To laugh or talk in a shrill manner. v.tr. like demented hyenas. Burrell may well have a story to tell. He needs to sift through the flotsam A name for the goods that float upon the sea when cast overboard for the safety of the ship or when a ship is sunk. Distinguished from jetsam (goods deliberately thrown over to lighten ship) and ligan (goods cast into the sea attached to a buoy). of easy laughs to locate it. THE BLACKER THE BERRY THE SWEETER THE JUICE - Two and one half stars Where: Zephyr Zephyr or Zephyrus: see Eos. Theatre, 7458 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. When: 8 p.m. Mondays through Feb. 14. Tickets: $12. Call (323) 960-7792. In a nutshell: Mario Burrell's one-man take on trying to make it in Hollywood lies in the uncomfortable region between poignant theater and stand-up shtick shtick also schtick or shtik n. Slang 1. A characteristic attribute, talent, or trait that is helpful in securing recognition or attention: . |
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