UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 26, Page 1
April 6, 1995
John Amos featured at Black Arts Festival

     Whether you remember him as the indestructible father from the
hit television sitcom Good Times, the heroic adult Kunta Kinte from
the acclaimed miniseries Roots or the hilarious restaurateur/
opportunist Mr. MacDowell from Eddie Murphy's blockbuster Coming to
America, John Amos has always delivered memorable performances.
     Now the renowned actor is bringing his solo show Halley's Comet
to Mitchell Hall as part of the University annual Black Arts Festival.
In a performance scheduled at 8 p.m., Friday, April 21, Amos will take
the stage as an 87-year-old-man sharing his memories with the comet.
     Conceived and written by Amos, Halley's Comet was first performed
in 1989 at the American Stage Company. During the course of the
performance, Amos portrays several compelling characters, among them
his 19-year-old son and several dynamic characters during a chilling
World War II fire fight. From important ecological concerns and
current social issues to personal experiences, he takes the audience
on an emotional roller coaster of laughter and tears.
     Tickets for Halley's Comet are $18 for the general public, $13
for University faculty, staff and senior citizens and $10 for
students. Tickets are on sale at the Bob Carpenter Center and Perkins
Student Center box offices.
     Free bus transportation will be provided from the Christina
Cultural Arts Center to the Newark campus for this performance. For
information, call the University's Center for Black Culture at 831-
2991.
     The April 21 performance is part of a joint venture between the
University's Center for Black Culture, Performing Arts Series and the
Christina Cultural Arts Center in Wilmington and is part of a three-
day residency by Amos in Delaware.
     As part of the residency, Amos will present a free public lecture
on "Strategies for Success in Acting" at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 20,
in the Rodney Room of the Perkins Student Center. This talk will cover
Amos' experiences in television, theatre and film. Earlier that day,
he will conduct two master classes for students in the Professional
Theatre Training Program only.
     Other highlights of the Amos residency include two children's
theatre workshops and an adult theatre workshop, both at the Christina
Cultural Center on Wednesday, April 19.
     For more information about any aspect of the residency, or for
registration forms for the community and children's workshops, call
the Christina Cultural Arts Center at 652-0101 or the Center for Black
Culture at 831-2991.
                                                          -Beth Thomas