Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Alex Holzinger Brent Jennings has worked alongside some of Hollywood's most famous actors.

This year, Hendrix students have the opportunity to work with a nationally renowned actor who has worked along side some of Hollywood's most famous: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Denzel Washington, and Eddie Murphy. Brent Jennings, who starred in films such as Life and Another 48hrs and appeared in a myriad of TV shows, will be a guest director for the upcoming production of Landscape of the Body as a part of the Murphy Foundation.

Jennings, a native of Little Rock, began his acting career at the Arkansas Arts Center while attending Central High School. During his time at Emerson College in Boston, Mass., he had stints in acting companies and eventually received the Carol Burnett Acting Award, an honor given from Emerson's School of Arts to seniors for distinguished acting. Staying in New York City for 10 years, Jennings acted in several Broadway plays such as G.R. Point by Miami Herald's Dave Berry. In addition to Broadway, he spent time in off-Broadway and regional theater productions, and has spent 10 seasons at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in Waterford, Conn., developing new plays. Currently, much of Jennings time is spent at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, Calif.

Jennings said the experience of working with young actors is what he enjoys most, as he sees purity in the actors of college theatre.

"They are unstained by the industry and the craft is in its purist form," Jennings said. Though he admits, "The hardest thing about directing is getting the actors to commit to your philosophy. It's a test."

As an actor who benefited from a liberal arts education, Jennings said he believed that the performing arts play an essential role in the liberal arts.
"Critical thinking is important to the whole experience," Jennings said. "The performing arts allow audiences to engage in the exchange of ideas. They challenge you to think about the world you live in and your ability to assimilate things into your frame of reference."

This will be Jennings second visit to Hendrix; two years ago he gave a guest lecture on African-Americans in cinema. As an Arkansas native, Jennings said he sees these opportunities as somewhat of a "homecoming" experience, especially because his brother is a member of the Hendrix faculty - associate professor of education Dr. James Jennings.

Hendrix's production of Landscape of the Body will run in the evenings from Nov. 16 through Nov. 19 in Cabe Theater with a matinee running on Sat., Nov. 19. To reserve you tickets online, visit http://www.hendrix.edu/academics/acadform.aspx?ekfrm=2387.

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