1 - - - - - - Los Angeles Times DIRECTOR BREAKS TELEVISION MOLD By ELENITA RAVICZ S her foot hari 2, goal Cookson but of the may growing never to 25-year-old be reach 5 director has achieved many of her other goals, including the winning of both a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award and a Television Academy Student Award. Cookson recently won an Emmy in the Los Angeles Area Emmy titled "'The Re-Emergence of Richard Nixon," about former President Richard M. Nixon's visit to Chapman College. It will air Saturday at 5 p.m., repeating Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on Channel 28. Cookson said of the segment, "We interviewed students who saw Nixon, and most of them said they thought he was wonderful. "They seemed to have no memories of Watergate. It was very # SAMUEL MIRCOVICH At 25, Shari Cookson has already won an L.A. Area Emmy. Awards competition for her work on "On Campus." In 1982, she received a $4,000 Television Academy Student Award while she was a student at USC. "This is a special thing that has never happened before. For someone to win an Emmy only two years after winning our student award is a miracle. We're very impressed," said Larry Stewart, chairman of the Student Activities Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Winning both awards so quickly is only one of the things that makes Cookson unusual, however. As she says: "I don't fit the stereotype of a Hollywood TV director. I think director as somebody slick. somebody, usually male, who is a life-in-thefast -lane type.' With her corduroys, casual shoes, slender build and a height of only 5 foot 1½, Cookson looks more like a gymnast or a student than a director. "I'm 25, but I look even younger," she commented. "If I dress casually, I look more like I'm 13." At times, looking so young and being a woman can be a disadvantage. "This is a male-dominated industry," she said -factly. "The camera and sound crews I work with are usually male. I have to be the boss and make decisions. When you're starting out it's not enough to be good, you have to be super good." Cookson, who originally wanted to be a newspaper reporter, won the TV academy's Student Academy Award for "Gunshot," a 25- minute documentary about five people who were changed physically and mentally by being shot. After winning the award and graduating from USC, she was hired as an intern by Dave Bell Associates, which produces numerous television shows including "On Campus." When that series had an opening for someone who could produce, direct, write and edit segments for the show, Cookson got the job. She described the program as a half -hour magazine-style format dealing with events, students and organizations connected with the Independent Colleges of Southern California. Cookson lately has been working on a sequence for the program nervous that I kept shaking and saying 'I want to go home.' Then, when I won, I was so excited that I got up and ran around my chair three times. People must have thought I was crazy," In an impersonal business, one of the things that makes Cookson's work stand out is what she called her "willingness to get involved in a story." "What I like about television as a medium is that it allows me to introduce one person to other people in society so that the audience can understand the essence of that person, his life and emotions," she explained. It was this desire to convey the feelings and experiences of others that led Cookson to make "Gunshot" as a student. She said she chose the subject of how people's lives were changed by being shot because she wanted to make a documentary on something she felt passionately about. Now, even though she's working as a television director, Cookson said, "I don't watch much TV because a lot of it is impersonal and trite." "In college," she added, "I didn't have many classes which focused on TV. I think that being naive about TV helps to make my pieces different, less cliched." Ravice is an intern from Vassar College. 'A STUNNING WORK" In repertory with JAMES McLURE's Vern Perry. The Register WILD OATS A Romance of the Old West. THE "UPROARIOUS" Hitchcock, Hollywood Next Reporter. FINAL 6 PERFS. perf: AMERICAN and Tom'w at 8. World Premiere. MOBY DICK -REHEARSED CLOCK by An novel. As ORSON adaptation performed of the WELLES by Herman the Taper Melville Repertory Company, Previews July 31. A Mural for the Theatre, Aug. 1 & 2.0 Opens Aug. 3. A new version by ARTHUR MILLER All 3 plays in rep thru Aug. 19. Into & CHARGE BY PHONE 972-7654. TONIGHT AT 8. -Tix ($5 off) on sale at 4:30. Group discounts 972-7372. FINAL 6 PERFS. Next perfs: Tonight at 8, Deaf TTY 680-4017. Aug. 8 at 8. West Coast Premiere. SUBSCRIBE to our 18th SeasonInfo 972-7654. MARK TAPER FORUM NO PERFORMANCE JULY 28. Gordon Davidson, Artistic Director Call 972-7651 and we will arrange. Center Theatre Group another date. Music Center 4110 LINCOLN BLUD. MARINA DEL REY INFO TEL 822-4008 ADVANCE TICKETS CHARGE LINE 688 - 7380 TICKET MASTER 480 3232 OR MAY CO MUSIC PLUS OR SPORTMAR1 "Good Time BILLY VERA Rhythm & Blues" & The Beaters N KKGO Welcomes STAN SAT. & SUN. GETZ July July 20 28 (9 (8 & & 11PM) 10PM) Quartet THEATRE GUIDE BEYOND THERAPY Tues. - Sat. at 8 pm Sun. at 7:30 Sun. Mat. 2:00 L.A. Public at the Coronet Theatre 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A. Call for tickets: 659-6415 "Held Over"!! Olympic Arts Event Pulitzer Prize Winner David Mamet's EDMOND Odyssey Theatre Ensemble 826- 1626 42nd STREET Tue. - Sat. Eve at 8:30 PM Sun. Eve at 7:30 PM Sat. & Sun. Mats. at 2:30 CALL TELECHARGE: 1-800-762-7666 SHUBERT THEATRE 2020 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles 90067 "The hottest piece of theatre in town!" -Herald Examiner IN TROUSERS A musical by William Finn directed by Matt Casella Tue., Wed. 8, Sat. 7 & 10, Sun. 8 & "Pick of the Week! ... it's Fun-Fun-Fun!" -L.A. Weekly LIVIN' DOLLS by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman Thur, 8, Fri. 8 & 10:15, Sat. 2, Sun. 3 Callboard Theatre, 8451 Melrose PI. (213) 651-5858/(818) 905-0686 WILD DATS by James McLure July 24 & 27 at 8 In repertory with THE AMERICAN CLOCK by Arthur Miller July 25 & 26 at 8 pm Mark Taper Forum Charge by phone 972-7654. HOLLYWOOD I BOWL 1984 SUMMER HOME OF THE strange, almost as if Nixon was campaigning again. I think he is trying to make his place in history more complimentary." It was also for "On Campus" that Cookson made "Golden Graduation Day," the 10-minute sequence that won her a Los Angeles Area Emmy. Cookson was the field producer on the segment, and Bruce Johnson was the supervising producer. Johnson too received an Emmy for "Golden Graduation Day," and Cookson is working with him again on the Nixon segment. "Golden Graduation Day" dealt with the class of 1933's return to Chapman College 50 years : after graduation. The college has a tradition that allows such classes to don caps and gowns and stage another graduation ceremony. "These people hadn't seen each other in a long time, and some of them never expected to make it back," she said. "They had a great time. This i is the kind of show that makes you feel good." The "Golden Graduation Day" segment was nominated in the category of special events, competing against coverage of the Rose Parade on KTLA and the Foxfield Jumping Derby on KNBC. Recalling the day of the Emmy ceremony, she said: "While I was waiting to hear the results I was so VINES SE Presents BENNY T'nite-Sat. DAR O GRILL FINE CARTER ITALIAN CUISINE QUARTET SUN. 7/29-8/1 ANITA O'DAY 1610 N. Vine St. 1 Bik. from Pantages Res. 463-4375 Extended Thru Sept. 2nd! Fric Bentley's Award Winning Drama ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN Ticket Information: 780-2240 BACK ALLEY THEATRE Julio Iglesias $40°° Orch. Equity Tickets (213) 629-1241 VISIT NBC EVERYONE LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN CALIFORNIA, 810 S. Main-624-6271 Star Trek Ill; Cannonball Run Il; 3rd hit LOS ANGELES, 615 S. Broadway -624-6271 The Karate Kid; Greystoke; Superman ||I (PG) MILLION $, 307 S. Broadway-629-2895 La Coyota; Silla OR Indiana ORPHEUM, Jones, 9th & Temple Broadway of Doom; -624-6271 Jaws 3 (Sp.) PALACE, 630 S. Broadway -624-6271 Ghostbusters; Beat Street; Hardbodies RIALTO, 812 S. Broadway -624-6271 Best Defense; Angel; Never Say Never Again STATE, 7th & Broadway-624-6271 Gremlins; Breakin'; Sword and Sorcerer L.A. NEIGHBORHOOD USC UNIVERSITY PARK BALDWIN #1, 3741 S La Brea Av-290-1991 Conan the Destroyer (PG); Scarface (R) BALDWIN #2, 3741 S La Brea Av-290-1991 The Last Starfighter (PG); Dr. Detroit (R) KIM SING, 732 N. Figueroa -628-3754 New Tale of Flying Fox; Shaolin Intruder KOKUSAI, 3020 Crenshaw -734-1148 Princess & Photographer; Band of Assassins PARK, 710 S. Alvarado- 483-7767 Temple of Doom; Police Academy (Sp.) UNIVERSITY, Univ. Village Ctr. -748-6321 Ralph Macchio: "The Karate Kid" (PG) UNIVERSITY, Hoover & Jefferson-748-6321 BIll Murray: "Ghostbusters" (PG) UNIVERSITY, Univ. Village Ctr. -748-6321 Eddie Murphy: "Best Defense" (R) EAST LOS ANGELES GOLDEN GATE,5176 Whittier BI.-269-8186 Electric Dreams; Breakin' (PG) WILSHIRE DISTRICT -BEV. HILLS -W.L.A. -WESTWOOD BEVERLY CINEMA, 7165 Bev. BI. -938-4038 Tarkovsky's "Andrel Roublev" CENTURY PLAZA, Cent. City -553-4291 The Last Starfighter (PG/70mm Dolby) CENTURY PLAZA, Cent. City -553-4291 The NeverEnding Story (PG/Dolby) CLINTON, 526 N. Western -461-3064 Splash; Cannonball Run I (PG) CULVER #1, 9820 W. Washington -838 - 1893 Star Trek Ill; Cannonball Run |I (PG) -matinee CULVER #2, 9820 W. Washington- 838-1893 Beat Street; Streets of Fire(PG) -matinees CULVER #3, 9820 W. Washington -838-1893 Top Secret; Splash (PG) -matinees ANAHEIM, Bachelor Party(R); ANAHEIM, LOGE Ralph Macchio: BALBOA, CINEMA, La Balance; I CORONA DEL Ingmar Bergman's CYPRESS CINEMA The Muppets CYPRESS CINEMA Romancing the FOUNTAIN VLY., Electric Dreams FOUNTAIN VLY., Star Trek Ill; FOUNTAIN VLY., Cannonball Run FOUNTAIN VLY., The NeverEnding FOXFULLERTON, Star Trek I|I GARDEN GROVE, The Natural; GARDEN GROVE, Cannonball Run ORANGE, The Last Starfighter ORANGE, Dudley Moore: ORANGE, Steven Spielberg ORANGE, BIll Murray: ORANGE, Electric Dreams ORANGE, Indiana Jones & ORANGE, City The Muppets ORANGE, City The NeverEnding SAN CLEMENTE, Muppets Take SOUTH NEW ALLEN, 3809 Cannonball Run CALIFORNIA, 6528 Best Defense; CALIFORNIA, 6528 Indiana Jones & CALIFORNIA, 6528 Ghostbusters Cannonball Run LIBERTY, GageStreets of Fire; LIBERTY, Conan the TORRANCE REDONDO SAN I PEDRO MARINA #1, The Pope of MARINA #2, Police Academy; MARINA #3, Greystoke; Sixteen PENINSULA
