I ENTERTAINMENT I
David and Joel Simmer.
The Boys' N ht
Out.
When the school bell rings, this
teacher and student reverse
roles and team up to produce
award-winning cable shows.
STEVE HARTZ
Special to The Jewish News
W
hile other fathers
are coaching their
sons on the ball
field, this dad is being
directed by his son at their
little hangout — Continental
Cable in West Bloomfield.
In November 1987, the
Simmers had cable hooked
up in their West Bloomfield
home. A few weeks later,
then-11-year-old David ask-
ed his father if the two of
them could enroll in a public
access television production
class.
His dad immediately said
yes.
"I had known about this
class, and I had been think-
ing for quite a while that
perhaps it would be
something that he and I can
do together, something fun,"
said the 43-year-old Simmer,
who teaches at West Bloom-
field High School. "Little did
I know that he'd ever really
take off on it, enjoy it,
understand it, use it well
and continue to use it. That
was a surprise to me."
It wasn't a surprise to the
younger Simmer, an 8th-
grade student at Orchard
Lake Middle School. "It's
fun," he said. "I love direc-
ting and operating the swit-
cher, a machine that con-
trols the cameras, colors,
graphics and all kinds of
special effects."
The Simmers decided to
take other courses offered by
Continental Cable. They
were licensed in many
technical areas. After work-
ing together on several pro-
ductions, it became apparent
to the administration at
Continental Cable that
"Father (and Son) Know
Best."
They soon were working
on a handful of shows, in-
cluding "Metro Arts Re-
view."
Even though David is a
student and his father
teaches, their roles are
reversed when they leave
school each afternoon and
enter the cable studio. "It
seems like I'm the one who
normally gets stuck behind
the camera and follows
orders," Joel Simmer said.
"My son, on the other hand,
is usually the one ordering
me around. I also work on
audio and lights if he tells
me to; I don't make any deci-
sions, which is fine because I
make decisions all day long.
So, it's nice — even though it
means that I have to listen
to my son for a change.
"I'm constantly hearing
his voice say, 'No, no. Do it
this way or that way.' And
occasionally I find myself
disagreeing, but I have to do
it his way. I have been very
surprised after I've been put
in my place and have seen
the finished products. They
sure looked good."
So good in fact that when
Continental Cable of Oak
Park, Southfield and West
Bloomfield held its first an-
nual version of the Academy
Awards last November,
David Simmer walked home
with three awards: Best
Program —Entertainment,
Best Switcher and a Special
Achievement Award.
One show, "The Eyes of a
I
GOING PLACES
WEEK OF
FEB.9-FEB.15
JEWISH EVENTS
JEWISH COMMUNITY
CENTER
6600 W. Maple Road,
West Bloomfield,
"Evening on Broadway,"
cabaret concert starring
Sheri Nichols with
Richard Berent, 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 17; Mask Puppet
Theater, 2:30 p.m. Feb.
11, admission, 661-1000.
B'NAI B'RITH
HILLEL
1429 Hill Street, Ann
Arbor, The Brother from
Another Planet, movie, 7
p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Feb.
10, admission, 769-0500.
COMEDY
CHAPLIN'S Plymouth,
Kevin "Spike" Manton, 8
p.m. Feb. 9-10, admission,
454-4680.
THEATER
PERFORMANCE
NETWORK
408 W. Washington, Ann
Arbor, The Owl and the
Pussycat, Feb. 15-25,
admission, 663-0681 or
354-6129.
HENRY FORD
MUSEUM THEATER
Dearborn, John Loves
Mary, through March 17,
admission, 271-1620.
ROSEDALE
COMMUNITY
PLAYERS
The Upstage, 21728
Grand River, Detroit,
Barefoot in the Park,
through Feb. 24,
admission, 534-4010.
FARMINGTON
PLAYERS
Farmington Players
Barn, Farmington Hills,
Waiting for the Parade,
through Feb. 24,
admission, 538-1670.
FISHER
Detroit, The Unsinkable
Molly Brown, through
Feb. 18, admission,
872-1000.
ATTIC THEATER
2990 W. Grand
Boulevard, Detroit, A
Shayna Maidel, through
Feb. 25; Blueprints, 8 p.m.
Feb. 12, admission,
875-8284.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
71