Ruby Dee (1922-2014)

The Writers Institute mourns the passing of Ruby Dee, pioneering stage and screen actress, and civil rights activist.

Ruby Dee visited the Writers Institute in March 2005 where she delivered the 9th Annual Burian Lecture, funded by the Jarka and Grayce Susan Burian Endowment, and cosponsored by the Department of Theatre.

From the New York Times:

"Ruby Dee, one of the most enduring actresses of theater and film, whose public profile and activist passions made her, along with her husband, Ossie Davis, a leading advocate for civil rights both in show business and in the wider world, died on Wednesday at her home in New Rochelle, N.Y. She was 91."

More about her visit:  http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/dee_ruby.html

Some obituaries:  http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/showbiz/obit-ruby-dee/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/arts/ruby-dee-actress-dies-at-91.html?_r=0
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/06/12/daughter-actress-ruby-dee-dead-at-91/10373935/

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Jennifer Dundas, Stage and Screen Credits

Here's a bio and filmography from the International Movie Database and Wikipedia for Broadway and Hollywood actress Jennifer Dundas (who visits us tomorrow to provide commentary and answer questions about the documentary, Sweet Dreams).

More about Friday's event:  http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/dundas_jennifer14.html

From Wikipedia:

Jennifer Dundas (born January 14, 1971 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actress best known for her role as Chris Paradis, Diane Keaton's lesbian daughter, in The First Wives Club. Other selected films include Puccini for Beginners, Legal Eagles, The Beniker Gang and The Hotel New Hampshire. Dundas has guest starred in TV shows such as Desperate Housewives and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. She has also performed in the New York Theatre, including the play Arcadia. She won an Obie (Off-Broadway) Award for her performance in Good as New by Peter Hedges.

From IMDB:

In addition to her film credits, Jennifer Dundas has had a long and distinguished career in the New York theatre. She starred in the American premieres of Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" opposite Billy Crudup on Broadway, "Iron" and "Further Than The Furthest Thing" at Manhattan Theatre Club. She created the role of Edie in the world premiere of Jules Feiffer's "Grownups" on Broadway, and she originated Maggie in Peter Hedges' "Good As New" opposite John Spencer at Manhattan Class Company, for which she received an OBIE Award. Her acclaimed New York performances include "The Little Foxes" opposite Stockard Channing, "Ah, Wilderness!" with Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards, "As You Like It" (Shakespeare In The Park, directed by Mark Lamos), and "A Winter's Tale" with Christopher Reeve and Mandy Patinkin (Public Theatre, directed by James Lapine). Ms. Dundas' other notable performances include Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" opposite Sally Field at the Kennedy Center, Raina in "Arms and The Man" opposite Eric Stoltz at Williamstown, Hermia in Sir Peter Hall's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Ahmanson, and Dunyasha in "The Cherry Orchard" opposite Annette Bening and Alfred Molina at the Mark Taper Forum. She has played starring roles at Trinity Rep, Yale Rep, Seattle Rep, American Repertory Theatre, South Coast Rep, Long Wharf Theater and many others.

In 1995, Ms. Dundas was honored by American Theatre Magazine as one of six New Faces of The Year. Featured on the cover with her were fellow honorees Billy Crudup, Megan Mullally, Justin Kirk, Rufus Sewell, and Jude Law.

Originally from Newton, MA, Ms. Dundas made her Broadway debut at age ten, and appeared in her first film at age eleven.

In summer '06 she went "home" to Boston to play Kate in "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company on Boston Common, which was estimated to have been viewed by over 75,000 people in a period of three weeks.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: A. Howard

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Rwandan Actress to Visit US for first time

Dear Filmgoers and All Members of the General Public,

We invite you to attend the following FREE event:

KINYARWANDA catered reception, film screening and Q&A with Rwandan actress Hadidja Zaninka and producer Darren Dean

 

After a prolonged period of uncertainty and a direct appeal to the President of Rwanda, Hadidja Zaninka (pictured here), a young Rwandan Muslim and star of the award-winning film Kinyarwanda, was finally granted permission to visit the US. Based on fact, the film highlights the heroism of Rwanda’s Muslim minority in saving lives during the genocide. The first event of Hadidja’s road trip with American producer Darren Dean will be here in Albany. She will be arriving in the US Thursday and speaking here Friday. This is her first visit to the US. Because access to the film is controlled in Rwanda, she has viewed it only once before. She may choose to sit through it here to have the experience of seeing it with an American audience. The filmmakers have tried to get her an exit visa before to no avail.

September 28 (Friday)

Catered reception – 6:30 p.m., Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue, Downtown Campus

Film screening — 7:30 p.m., Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue, Downtown Campus

Written and directed by Alrick Brown

(United States, Rwanda, France, 2011, 100 minutes, color)

In English and Kinyarwanda with English subtitles

Winner of the World Cinema Audience award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, KINYARWANDA is based on the heroic true story of local Muslim clergy who risked their lives to save both Tutsi and pacifist Hutu—Christians as well as Muslims—during the Rwandan genocide. In a four star review, Roger Ebert said, “Here is a powerful film.”

NOTE: The film’s producer Darren Dean and leading Rwandan actress Hadidja Zaninka (pictured here) will answer questions immediately after the screening.

The film is part of the Justice & Multiculturalism in the 21st Century Film Series: Justice & Multiculturalism in the 21st Century is a multifaceted project aimed at engaging conversations about the intersection of social justice and criminal justice in an increasingly diverse society. UAlbany’s School of Criminal Justice and the Writers Institute are partnering to present six films over the next year that will explore these issues. Topics that will be explored during the fall 2012 series are genocide, capital punishment, and terrorism. Each screening will be followed by a discussion. For additional information on the Justice & Multiculturalism in the 21st Century project go to: http://www.albany.edu/justiceinstitute/.

Some additional information:

http://www.kinyarwandamovie.com/  

For more information contact the Writers Institute at writers@albany.edu or 442-5620.

 

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Mary Pickford: The Child-Woman

Watch a 2-minute video featuring America's first movie star "America's Sweetheart," silent actress Mary Pickford (a Canadian actually), who rose to fame portraying little girls well into her thirties.

As the YouTube poster notes, over-sized sets were built to accentuate her already petite frame in order to make her look as childlike as possible.

At the age of 26, she portrays both child and woman in the 1919 feature, Daddy-Long-Legs, to be screened this Friday, March 30, 7:30PM at Page Hall, University at Albany downtown. Free as always.

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