European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Heaven can t wait for Diane Keaton by Bob Thomas associated press he sat in a boo to h mho Suwol Stop cell we shop trying to took in a Del by hat Ond Man s Coal and a Nils All i Lack. Wilh a High Ccu Oid White Shii i Wilh Lia inconspicuous anywhere. Ii was mid Atio Noort. And Iho Law customers who occupied the other Booths tried Nolle stare Stilt Hoy could t help wondering what was Iho Academy award Winner doing m a Sunset strip Colloq shop surprisingly she was giving an interview about her new movie not a movie in which she appears site never does publicity for those. The movie in question was heaven which she herself Croal cd. Heaven is Dill cult to describe. It s not a Story my nor is it a documentary. What ii is is a series of interviews with a wide variety of individuals talking about their concepts of heaven. Their comments Are interspersed with depictions of heaven irom a wide variety of film Woolage including features television shows and religious programs. It was a hugs undertaking she said with a Large sigh. I spent a year in the editing room. First of All 1 had to see All that footage. Religious films films irom Allol the studios everything had to be looked at. It was a big research Job. I Don t think i d Ever undertake another film with so much research. I liked it. I enjoyed looking. That was not a problem Lor Keatan had made a 17-Rninute film in 1982, what does Corrie want about her sister. She had been looking for another subject and found it while touring the visitors Center at the mormon Temple in Salt Lake City with director Jonathan Gemma Melvin and Howard. They viewed a film depleting the mormon concept of heaven. I wanted to do another film but not a scripted one i was t ready Lor she said. I was thinking in the religious area because i was always fascinated by movies about heaven. When 1 saw the film at the visitors Center i thought gee it would to Tun to find a lot of films Tike this and Combine it with interviews it took a Long time after she found an Angel in Ria productions which agreed to underwrite the project s budget for just under a million dollars. Firs it was aimed at Cable to. But it now will be released to Heaters by Island pictures. The interviews were crucial to the film s Success. We Lound the people All Over in Hollywood in Venice All the actress director said. We shot it Here in los Angeles and most of the people were local. We Lew one Guy in because he claimed to have gone to hell we found them in shopping malls and churches obviously churches. We originally started with a wider Cross Section of people but for most of them it was very difficult la talk about heaven for any length of time. We decided we had Keaton lift with slutty space Center and Joanl Valenge in a scene from Crimea from the heart logo with people who had a More vested interest in her selections of film clips Range from the Sublime Michael Powell s 1946 stairway to heaven to the curious the heavenly orchestra in the hum blows at Midnight to the banal the stereotyped Black heaven in wonder bar. Unfortunately such recent films As Warren Beatty s heaven can wait were unavailable to her payments to guilds and unions make Post-1950 clips too costly. Diane Keaton has also been Busy As an actress. She recently completed baby Boom Wilh Sam Shepard and Harold Ramis. She has two films in he Heaters crimes of the heart and radio Days. Working with Sissy Spacek and Jessica langs in climes of the heart was great fun a real experience she said. She had casually known the two other Oscar winners but admitted thai she did t get to know them Well during filming those things Are so Brief they probably became closer because they both live in Virginia and they both have in Woody Allen s radio Days she appears briefly As a band Singer a throwback to her Early career with a night club act. It was not for me aha recalled. The audience was Loo much for me. You need a desire to be with that kind of people i prefer making Moulai. They re very intimate Attalla you know not Loo Many people around. I like the fragmented nature of movies too. Some actors Don to t Keaton dropped out of Santa Ana Calif Junior College to study acting in naw York and made her Broadway debut in hair her role opposite Woody Allen in play h again Sam attracted film interest and her first dramatic role came As Al Pacino s Wile in Trie godfather she has been Able to handle drama Locking Lor or. Goodbar Fields and comedy Manhattan. Sleeper with equal skill she won her Oscar for her role As the Ilia character in Annie Haff 1977. One Man s obsession explaining opera to the masses by Anita Gosch staff writer f you always wanted to go to the opera bul were afraid you might not be Able to understand whal was happening on stage what should you do for culture seekers in Grossen the answer was simple attend one of Mark Ross Clark s lecture sessions before the show. For the past � years Clark director of the Giessen Community chorus held a series of opera talks before each opera the group attended. His Arm was to help people understand what they were going to see and hear. It did t Hurt that claim was also a fun Limo Singer at the Giessen opera House As such he was Able to add a new dimension to his opera classes i d heard of other communities doing those opera talks but i wanted to do something that would capture the imagination of first time opera goers he said. Clark realized that since a had Access o the opera House he could involve some of the professional singers in the lectures. They could talk about their characters and about what it s like to be an opera Singer in Germany. Thai Way he said he could bring opera a Little bit closer to Home. Clark said he tended to choose operas Wilh traditional productions. Many directors have their own interpretations of each opera bul said Clark for first time opera goers i like them to know the opera tha Way the composer wanted it to along with discussing the plot Clark talked about the composer s background the music stage scenes and costumes. During each opera season which runs rom september to june Clark lacked three operas holding about 10 classes per season. He said an average of 20 people irom the Giessen military and civilian communities attended the classes usually held at the Cisson Keller theater. Cost was about $12 por person which included the ticket to the opera the lecture and transportation to the opera House. Clark is leaving Germany in july but he said. The Giessen entertainment Branch Hopes to find a in placement who would con tuna the opera talks when Uto season begins again in he fall. He feels thai attending the opera in Germany is a Good Way Lor americans to Leain about German culture. It s also an Opportunity Tor them to see an opera in a Small setting he said since opera houses m Germany Are usually wednesday april 22, 1987 much smaller than in the United states. But for there s an added Benefit As Well. Some people look at this As a Way to really dress up go out and do something that makes them feel they re in Europe he said. On the other hand some people especially soldiers seem to be worried that they have to dress up. I Tell them they can relax they can Wear whatever they want in a German opera Barbara Peyronnin wife of an Active duty military member in Giessen attended a lecture on Franz Lehar s operetta tha merry widow recently she feels the incl ures uttered a convenient Way to got to the opera la s an extra incentive especially Here in Germany where you Don t know whore to buy tickets so much is done Lor you she said Arlaca Lioun 16, and Mana Brubeck 14, enjoyed going to the lectures and the operas Lor yet another Cason. Thoy liked looking Al Iho people who go to the opera they re the kind of poo Plu you Don t see on the Street said Calhoun they re the Bosl of Iho germans added Brubeck a you want to gel a look cd Lluc you go to the the stars and stripes Page 17
