ENTERTAINMENT

An Eye
For An Aye

Optometrist Donald Schore
leaves his office for the
stage to the delight of
appreciative audiences

SUSAN TAUBER-HYKE

Special to The Jewish News

hether he's performing as an the 48-year-old Schore. But theater is
optometrist in real life during the apple of his eye. "I'm also an ac-
the day or portraying a tor, singer and dancer," he adds quick-
musical comedy character by night, ly with a twinkle in his dark brown
Donald Schore is a smash hit.
eyes.
Schore is happy with his life. He
Schore easily gives the image of
the experienced optometrist that he has a successful optometry practice
is when he's wearing his white lab and knows that once he finishes one
coat while in his optometry office at show, he has another to which to look
Meadow Brook Village Mall in forward.
But things weren't always this
Rochester Hills. He's been practicing
this profession since he graduated way for the founder of the Brandeis
from the Illinois College of Optometry AZA Chapter and member of Cong.
B'nai David.
in 1969.
"When I graduated from_Mum-
The West Bloomfield resident fre-
quently exchanges his office attire for ford High School, I had only had three
different stage costumes from dates and that's because the girls ask-
whichever musical or straight play in ed me out," he confessed. "Being in
musical comedies was always one of
which he's appearing.
"When people ask me what I do, my dreams but I was too shy then to
I tell them I'm an optometrist," said pursue it."

He loved sports. He lettered in
high school and college baseball and
was an all-conference pitcher at
Wayne State University (WSU). At
the age of 19, Schore was offered a
contract with the Detroit Tigers
minor league ball club. He chose not
to sign it.
He did join the Army when he was
17, serving six months active duty
and 7Y2 years in the reserves. Then he
went on to college, changed his major
three times and landed at the illinoi8
Optometry School in Chicago, where
he fell in love with the pizza at Gino's
East and with his profession.
"It wasn't until I started op-
tometry school that I really began to
enjoy myself," he said. "I realized I
was in the right place. I enjoy my
work. It's a clean profession that in-

volves no pain for my patients and
good working hours for me."
It was while a student at WSU
that Schore began dating more. It's a
good thing, too, because it was a date
that led him to the stage.
"One night I just happened to go
with my date to a rehearsal for Kiss
Me, Kate at the Franklin Village
Players playhouse. She was dancing
in the chorus and suggested I try out,
too. I declined," recalled the son of
Henry and Sarah (Sandy) Schore of
Southfield. "For some reason, I later
changed my mind, learned the open-
ing song, auditioned and got in the
chorus. I had never done anything
like that in my life, except to sing in
a junior high school choir."
Just like in the movies, one of the
three suitors in the play dropped out

GOING PLACES

WEEK OF AUGUST 28-SEPT. 3

SPECIAL EVENTS

MICHIGAN
RENAISSANCE
FESTIVAL
Dixie Highway between
Pontiac and Flint, one mile
north of Mt. Holly, Inc.,
Holly, drama, mimes,
magicians, crafts, games,
food, Saturdays and
Sundays through Sept. 27,
admission, 645-9640.

MUSIC

PINE KNOB MUSIC
THEATRE
Liza Minelli, 8 p.m. today,
Frank Sinatra, 8 p.m.
Monday.

MEADOW BROOK
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Meadow Brook Festival
Orchestra and Laser Light
Spectacular, 8:30 p.m. today
and Saturday, Jean-Luc
Ponty, 8 p.m. Sunday,
admission, 377-2010.
STROH'S JAZZ SERIES
Chene Park, Detroit, Scott
Heron, 8 p.m. Saturday,
free,567-0990.
DETROIT INSTITUTE
OF ARTS
5200 Woodward Ave.,
Detroit, Brunch With Bach,
10-11:30 a.m. Sunday,
admission, 832-2730.
WAYNE STATE
UNIVERSITY
Community Arts

Auditorium, main campus,
Detroit, Karl Weigl Music
Festival, 8 p.m. Tuesday
through Thursday,
admission, 577-1795.

OAKLAND CARE
CENTER
Greenfield Rd., Royal Oak,
choir concert, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, free, 477-7210.

CHILDREN

JEWISH COMMUNITY •
CENTER
6600 W. Maple, West
Bloomfield, The Emperor's
New Clothes, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, admission,
661-1000 ext. 342.

COMEDY

DUFFY'S ON THE LAKE
3133 Union Lake Rd.,
Union Lake, Bob Posch and
John Cionca, 9 and 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday,
admission, 363-9469.
NORTHWOOD INN AND
COMEDY CASTLE
2593 Woodward, Berkley,
Glenn Hirsch 8:30 and
11:00 p.m. today and
Saturday, Jeff Jena and
Jerry Elliott 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday through Sept. 5
admission, 542-9900.

THEATER

SHAW FESTIVAL

Niagara-On-The-Lake,
Ontario, Peter Pan, now
until Oct. 11, Fanny's First
Play, now until Sept. 27,
Augustus Does His Bit, now
until Sunday and Night Of
Jan. 16th, now until Sept.
27, (416)468-2172.
DOWNTOWN DINNER
THEATER
Veterans Memorial
Building banquet hall,
They're Playing Our Song,
presented by Jimmy Launce
Productions, cocktails 6:30
p.m., dinner at 7 p.m.,
curtain at 8:45 p.m. every
Friday and Saturday,
admission, reservations,
224-6000.
HENRY FORD MUSEUM

Continued on Page 65

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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