ENTERTAINMENT
WEEK OF
SEPT. 1-7
SPECIAL EVENTS
JEFF LAZAR'S MDA
CARNIVAL
Crowne Pointe Office
Center, Oak Park,
Sunday, 967-1295.
MICHIGAN
RENAISSANCE
FESTIVAL
Hollygrove, Holly,
through Sept. 24,
weekends and Labor
Day, 10 a.m. -7 p.m.,
admission, 645-9640.
SOMERSET MALL
2801 W. Big Beaver
Road, Photointerpreting,
Architecture and Design
Exhibition by Glen
Calvin Moon, through
Monday, free, 643-6360.
Southfield resident
Doug Gorenstein
is reaching
new heights
on his climb
toward stardom.
COMEDY
COMEDY CASTLE
2593 Woodward, Berkley,
Bill Engvall, today and
Saturday; Glenn Hirsch,
Tuesday through Sept. 9,
admission, 542-9900.
STEVEN M. HARTZ
THEATER
Special to The Jewish News
Gorenstein still
drives his
Checker cab.
oug Gorenstein is a
man who wears many hats —
thanks to his father, the late
Dr. Irwin Gorenstein.
"When I was 4 years old,
my father gave me a whole
bunch of hats: a fireman's
hat, cowboy's hat, policeman's
hat, baseball player's hat, ar-
my hat, knight's hat and
surgeon's cap," Gorenstein
said. "His idea was that if I.
had a lot of different hats, I
could become whatever
character I wanted to be.
That's what inspired me to
become an actor."
This past spring and sum-
mer several hundred promis- ,
ing actors from around the
world auditioned for the two-
year professional actor train-
ing program at the New Ac-
tors Workshop in New York.
The 21-year-old Gorenstein
was one of 32 chosen to study
under the workshop's three
instructors: Mike Nichols,
director of The Graduate and
the more recent Working Girl;
George Morrison, one of the
foremost acting teachers in
the country, who has trained
many well-known actors in-
cluding Gene Hackman; and
Paul Sills, who founded the
Second City comedy troupe in
Chicago.
Gorenstein's theatrical
debut came when he was 6
years old.
"I used to put shows on in
my basement. My family and
neighbors would come see me.
There was no admission, so it
was a pretty good deal for
them. Once, I staged a one-
man production of `Idi Amin.'
I think that with my
knowledge of Idi Amin, it
turned out to be a comedy. I
didn't know too much about
him. I used some of my
mother's art charcoals and
made myself up in black face?'
When he was 12, Gorens-
tein enrolled in Cranbrook's
summer theater program and
played bit parts in The En-
chanted Princess and six
other one-act plays.
He then put acting on hold
while participating on
baseball and hockey teams,
playing in Southfield leagues
for 15 years.
As a sophomore at
Southfield-Lathrup High
School, Gorenstein hung up
his baseball glove and hockey
skates and reopened his
closet full of hats.
First he portrayed Rogers in
Lathrup's production of Ten
Little Indians, followed by Al,
the loud and obnoxious used-
car salesman in the one-act
No Experience Necessary.
Gorenstein kept busy his
As a sophomore,
Gorenstein hung
up his baseball
glove and hockey
skates and
reopened his
closet full of hats.
junior year, performing in
four Lathrup productions
and, after spending his first
two years with Lathrup's con-
ert choir, was selected as one
of its-madrigal singers.
In December 1985, he got
his first taste of musical
theater at Lathrup, starring
as Danny in Grease.
"When I found out I was
cast as Danny, I decided that
I wanted to become the
character, both on stage and
off," Gorenstein said. "So, for
months I wore a black leather
jacket, black boots and a
white T-shirt, greased back
my hair and even drove an old
two-toned-blue Checker
taxi cab. When the show clos-
ed, I really had a hard
time adjusting. I had lost
a bit of my identity. The
whole experience taught me
a good lesson about
separating myself from my
work."
After Grease, Gorenstein
played George in If Men
Played Cards As Women Do
and then portrayed Grandpa
in You Can't Take It With You.
"Playing Grandpa was a
real challenge because it gave
me the opportunity to stretch
my acting ability and play an
older character," Gorenstein
said.
Gorenstein's junior year at
Lathrup ended with his por-
MEADOW BROOK
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Rochester, Annie,
starring Jo Anne Worley
and Bill Hayes, through
Sunday, all shows 8 p.m.,
special matinee
Saturday, admission,
377-2010.
HENRY FORD
MUSEUM AND
GREENFIELD
VILLAGE
Henry Ford Museum
Theater, Dearborn, The
Royal Family, through
Sept. 17, admission,
271-1620.
MUSIC
PALACE OF AUBURN
HILLS
3777 Lapeer Road, The
Cure, 8 p.m. Crosby,
Stills and Nash, • Special
Anniversary Concert,
Sunday, admission,
377-8200.
BIRMINGHAM
SUMMER CONCERT
SERIES
Shain Park, Maple near
Woodward, downtown
Birmingham, The
Executives' Big Band,
7:30 p.m. Thursday, free,
644-1807.
Continued on Page 95
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 87____\