ENTERTAINMENT
MICHELLE COHEN
Special to The Jewish News
W
hen 8-year-old Adam
Rochkind was asked
what he enjoyed
about acting, the Bloomfield
Hills resident replied, "Let's
put it this way, when I came
out of my mother my first
word was 'acting! "
His brown eyes gleamed as
he explained the numerous
joys of theater. "I like stan-
ding in front of an audience,"
he said. "I like the feeling
that I can be in front of other
people without being ner-
vous!'
Adam will be anything but
nervous when he performs in
South Pacific in early
February with the Bloomfield
Players.
"I'm feeling really excited,"
he said. "I love practices. It
makes me feel good when I
get a part right because then
I know I won't mess up in the
play."
Bloomfield Players, a com-
munity theater group spon-
sored by the Recreation-
Community Services Division
of the Bloomfield Hills
Schools, is in its second year
of existence and into its third
play. Last year, they
presented Music Man and
Hello Dolly.
June Hamilton, executive
producer of Bloomfield
Players, said, "We want a
family focus. Our philosophy
is to have fun. They're having
a ball . . . It's great to see all
the personalities so compati-
ble. We're really excited about
the theater. I think it's one of
the best things that's happen-
ed in our community in a long
time."
Her cast of 48 ranges in age
from 8 to mid-50s, including
18 Jewish cast members.
Assistant Producer Carole
Miller said the high percen-
tage of Jewish people involv-
ed in South Pacific is a result
of "word of mouth."
"There are a lot of people in
the Jewish community who
aren't professionals but like
to perform on stage, and once
they see that someone else
has done it they are more
comfortable joining the
theater," Mrs. Miller said.
The Rodgers and Hammer-
stein musical classic of love
and war takes place on a lush,
Photos by Glenn Triest
"Nro young stars
may take away the
spotlight in the
Bloomfield Players'
South Pacific.
tropical island. Adam Roch-
kind plays the role of Jerome,
the son of the Frenchman.
Jerome's sister is played by
9-year-old Joanna Miller, who
has been acting for three
years. Her favorite type of
performing, however, is
singing.
"I like it because I'm not
afraid to do it in front of
anyone," Joanna said. "When
I hear people sing or I hear
music, I pick it up like that,"
snapping her fingers for em-
phasis. "I have an ear for
music and if .I hear a song I
like, I right away want to
learn it!'
Creative director Kimber-
ley Britt said working with
Adam and Joanna is a
pleasure. "Normally I prefer
working with adults:' Ms.
Britt said. "Both (children)
are like little adults, especial-
ly Adam. He has an extreme-
ly professional attitude. He's
out to do a good job. I tease
Adam about being 8 and go-
ing on 30."
Ms. Britt expects the two
children to steal the show
"because they're both so
adorable. Joanna's voice is in-
credibly good. There's a
presence they have that will
jump out at the audience.
They both have a lot of
energy."
That energy is expended on
and off stage. Joanna's week-
Joanna Miller
and Adam Rochkind.
SHOW TIME
South Pacific will be per-
formed Feb. 1-3 and Feb.
8-10 at the Andover High
School theater. Friday and
Saturday performances are
at 8 p.m. and Sunday per-
formances are at 2 p.m.
There is a charge.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
65