ENTERTAINMENT

I GOING PLACES

WEEK OF JAN. 20-26

SOUTHFIELD HIGH
SCHOOL AMATEUR
RADIO CLUB
24675 Lahser, Southfield, swap
and shop, Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.,
admission. 746-8638.
BOAT, SPORT AND
FISHING SHOW
Pontiac Silverdome, Wednesday
through Jan. 29, 'admission.
373-1700.

THEATER

COMEDY

COMEDY CASTLE
2593 Woodward, Berkley, Doug
Ferrari, today and Saturday;
Frankie Pace, Tuesday through
Jan. 28, admission. 542-9900.

THEATER

SUSAN WDMER-GLIEBE

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Special to The Jewish News

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The Wild Swan Theater recently performed Owl's Winter at the Ann Arbor Public Library.

Fairy tales and fantasies are brought close
to children of all faiths, colors and abilities.

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nce upon a time." Those Swan, qualities that have grown and
words are a key that opens strengthened over the years. "Sandy's
the door to the imagination, style is that she's part kid herself,"
to strange places and won- says Sherry Roberts, a storyteller and
derful adventures, to youth librarian at the Ann Arbor
frightening ogres and beautiful Public Library. "She really has a con-
nection to children and children real-
dreams.
Hilary Cohen and Sandy Ryder ly feel that," Roberts explains. "I've
have never forgotten the potency of never seen anything quite like it."
those words and what they can — and Cohen, by contrast, is something of a
do — bring to children. As founders mother hen, (she also is a mother of
and members of the Ann Arbor-based two) working as overall organizer and
Wild Swan Theater, they have been manager. Although the initial troupe
prime practitioners of the storyteller's may have had disparate talents, the
art. They have also evolved that art Wild Swan founders did have several
in ways that go far beyond the nar- things in common. "I think that one
rative form itself. Using movement of the reasons that the four of us were
and music, masks and mimicry, in sympathy about the kind of theater
they've generated a special and dif- we wanted to produce was because we
were all Jewish," says Cohen reflec-
ferent kind of children's theater.
The Wild Swan Theater was born tively. Certain values have been
eight years ago. At that time, the transmitted in all their works, many
troupe was made up of Cohen, Ryder, which Ryder and Cohen' trace to their
Julie Fink and Robin Wright; Jewish heritage itself.
From the very beginning the four-
however, the latter two have since left
some were especially interested in,
Ann Arbor.
Each member of the troupe and concerned about, making a par-
brought special qualities to Wild ticipatory and approachable theater.

"We wanted to make children's
theater that was accessible to minori-
ty children, poor children and kids
with disabilities; says Cohen. -
Wild Swan has held to that sense
of purpose. Their first production, an
original musical called Rainstorm, re-
quired the young audience to make
the sound and fury of a violent storm.
Included in the audience were
children from the Children's
Psychiatric Hospital. Over the years,
Wild Swan has developed works
specifically for the hearing impaired.
Doing so was dually purposeful.. "We
thought it would be nice to show hear-
ing children, too, what it's like to
sign," Cohen explained.
Recently, for the production of The
Griffin and the Minor Canon,
presented at the Ann Arbor Summer
Festival, the troupe bought audio-
description equipment so that sight-
impaired children could follow the ac-
tion on stage. The involvement didn't
end there. "In the summer we had two
blind kids from Romulus who came
early so they could feel the puppets,

HILBERRY AND
BONSTELLE THEATRES
Wayne St. University, Detroit,
Romeo and Juliet, now through
Jan. 28; Wild Honey, now
through March 4; admission.
577-29.72.
BIRMINGHAM THEATRE
211 S. Woodward, Birmingham,
Stepping Out now through Feb.
5, admission. 644-3533.
MEADOW BROOK THEATRE
Oakland University, Rochester, I
Ought to be in Pictures, now
through Jana 29, admission.
377-3300.
PERFORMANCE NETWORK
408 W. Washington, Ann Arbor,
On the Verge, or the Geography of
Yearning, Thursday through Feb.
12, admission. 663-0681.
STAGECRAFTERS
415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak, The
1940's Radio Hour, now through
Jan. 29, admission. 541-6430.
JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER
6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield,
Jewish Ensemble Theatre, Sam
and Itkeh, with Evelyn Orbach
and Robert Grossman, now
through Jan. 29; Snoopy, Sunday,
admission. 661-1000.
RIDGEDALE PLAYERS
205 W. Long Lake, Troy, Sugar,
now through Sunday, Jan 27-29,
admission. 644-8328.
FISHER THEATRE
Fisher Bldg., Detroit, Can-Can,
with Chita Rivera, now through
Feb. 5, admission. 872-1000.
AVON PLAYERS
1185 Washington, Rochester
Hills, Brighton Beach Memoirs,
now through Sunday, Jan, 27-28,

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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