A reception and dinner are offered preceding the lecture. The reception begins at 4:45 p.m. and takes place in the Orrstown Bank lobby of the Luhrs Center. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and takes place in the Tuscarora Room, Reisner Dining Hall, adjacent to the Luhrs Center. The reception is $80 and includes the dinner and lecture. The dinner is $55 and includes the lecture. For tickets to the reception or dinner, call 717.477.1738. The deadline for the reception and dinner reservations is February 10.
Spike Lee is a writer, director, actor, producer and author who revolutionized the role of Black talent in cinema. Widely regarded as a premiere African-American filmmaker, Lee is a forerunner in the 'do it yourself' school of independent film. An avid sports enthusiast, Lee recently completed a one day 18 camera documentary shoot focusing on NBA standout Kobe Bryant. Produced for ESPN, the unique piece is entitled Kobe- Doin Work. Another current project Passing Strange - the critically acclaimed Broadway musical - follows the travels of a young African American musician in search of himself. Passing Strange debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. His most recent theatrical release is Miracle at St Anna. Set in 1944 it chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division, trapped behind enemy lines in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.This film comes on the heels of When the Levees Broke, a groundbreaking documentary focusing on the plight of Americans stranded in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Other critical and box office successes have included such films as Inside Man, 25th Hour, The Original Kings of Comedy, Bamboozled, and Summer of Sam. Lee's films Girl 6, Get On the Bus, Do the Right Thing, and "Clockers" display his ability to showcase a series of outspoken and provocative socio-political critiques that challenge cultural assumptions, not only about race, but class and gender identity as well.
His debut film, the independently produced comedy She's Gotta Have It, earned him the Prix de Jeunesse Award at the Cannes Film festival in 1986 and set him at the forefront of the Black New Wave in American Cinema. His second feature, the very profitable and critically acclaimed School Daze, helped launch the careers of several young Black actors. Lee's timely 1989 film, Do the Right Thing, garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film and Director Awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Lee's Jungle Fever, Mo' Better Blues, Clockers, and Crooklyn were also well received by critics and fans alike. His epic drama Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington, received two Academy Award nominations.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Brooklyn, Lee returned south to attend Morehouse College. After graduation, he returned to Brooklyn to continue his education at New York University's Tisch School of Arts in Manhattan, where he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in film production. He founded 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, based in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, where he has resided since childhood.
In addition to his film achievements, Lee has produced and directed numerous music videos for diverse artists including Chaka Khan, Tracy Chapman, Anita Baker, Public Enemy, Bruce Hornsby and Michael Jackson. His other music videos include work for the late Miles Davis and Phyllis Hyman, Naughty by Nature and Arrested Development.
Lee's commercial work began in 1988 with his Nike Air Jordan campaign. Collaborating with basketball great Michael Jordan on several commercials, Lee resurrected his popular character, Mars Blackmon from She's Gotta Have It. He has also completed a PSA for UNCF entitled "Two Michaels," which also features Michael Jordan. Lee is also well known for his Levi's Button-Fly 501, AT&T and ESPN television commercials. His other commercial ventures include TV spots for Philips, Nike, American Express, Snapple and Taco Bell. Lee has also directed several Art Spot Shorts for MTV and a short film featuring Branford Marsalis and Diahnne Abbott for Saturday Night Live.
Lee is also involved in documentaries and sports programs. He completed the Emmy- and Oscar-nominated documentary 4 Little Girls for HBO and received an Emmy Award for his piece on Georgetown's John Thompson for HBO/Real Sports.
Additionally, Lee has authored six books on the making of his films. The fifth book, Five For Five, served as a pictorial reflection of his first five features. He then followed up with Best Seat in the House, authored with Ralph Wiley. Lee co-authored a children's book entitled, Please, Baby Please with his wife Tonya Lewis Lee, and most recently authored a retrospective book about his film career entitled, That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It.
For lecture tickets and information, call the Luhrs Center Box Office at 717.477.SHOW (7469) or visit the Luhrs Center website at luhrscenter.com. For reception and dinner tickets call 717.477.1738.
About the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center at Shippensburg University
The mission of the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center at Shippensburg University is to support and enhance the University's role in academic and cultural enrichment for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Luhrs Center's 1,500-seat state-of-the-art Grove Theatre is where programs to educate, enlighten and entertain are presented. Benefits of the Center to the region include expanding opportunities to participate in
a wide range of cultural programming including full-scale Broadway companies, musical groups, symphonies, dance troupes and internationally known speakers. In addition, it adds options for professional training programs, youth programs and senior citizen programs; attracts regional and national business conferences, professional meetings and planning sessions; and additional visitors to the area which will result in a positive impact on the local and regional economy.
