An Act

erican thespians build
n stage.

RUTH UTTMANN STAFF WRITER

addition to acting.
Maria Kirzhner, from
St. Petersburg, feels the
same. The extrovert and
top-notch student says
participating in the play
offers her a forum
where she neither wor-
ries about her accent or
grades. The fun comes
from making friends in
a low-stress environ-
ment, she says.
That's not to say the
project doesn't involve
hard work. Ms.
Stavish and her thes-
pians have been
meeting for two hours
each week since last
September. The stu-
dents not only mem-
orized their lines,
they also helped
write the play.
Early in the
school year, Ms.
Stavish introduced
the students to Jewish sto-
ries, songs and poems. The

ou can't tell the difference
until they talk.
All 12 of the young
actors and actresses per-
forming in Keshet: The
Token of the Covenant look
like typical teen-agers
dressed in typical teen-age
garb: T-shirts, sneakers
and jeans.
But they're not altogeth-
er typical.
Six are American and
six are Russian. Their ori-
gin becomes evident when
they recite their lines.
Combined, these thespians
are a dozen students who
last fall decided they
wanted to make multicul-
tural friendships through
acting.
But it's no act, says
director Corinne Stavish.
The friendships formed
are real.
"That's what this pro-
gram is all about," she
said. "It's not so much the-
ater. It's bringing kids

together."
The play, sponsored by
Agency for Jewish Edu-
cation, Jewish Experiences
For Families, and Ms.
Stavish, a professional sto-
ryteller, premiers at the
AJE in Southfield at 7:30
p.m. May 19. Funded by
the DeRoy Foundation,
Keshet is the second annu-
al performance involving
Russian and American
students in Detroit's
Jewish 'community. It
involves 8th- through
11th-graders.
Last year, student Denis
Greenberg from Russia
performed in Sparks, the
first AJE/JEFF perfor-
mance. The experience, he
said, gave him the confi-
dence to deliver a stand-up
comedy routine at his pub-
lic school's talent show.
This year, Denis is back
to perform in Keshet. Like
his peers, he says he
enjoys making friends in

.

01101111411111001.-

Students rehearse Keshet

group read through the
material to determine
what to include in the
play. Then Ms. Stavish
wrote a script based on the
group's choices.
Keshet: The Token of the
Covenant uses rainbow
imagery to demonstrate
dreams, hope, peace,
learning, laughter and
friendship. During the
play, the actors and
actresses discover that the
colors of the rainbow —
the keshet — add meaning
to the world.
The rainbow is starless,
Ms. Stavish says. There is
no main character, no
prima donna. Each player
wears a white T-shirt and
jeans. All roles are equal,
intentionally.
"All kids want to have
their 'moment,' " she said.
"I try to keep everyone on
stage at all times. It really
is a cooperative effort in
all regards." ❑