Family

Team

A father and son find a common
bond in the theater.

SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

PHOTO BY JEFF KOWALSKY

David and Rick Sherline go over the script.

1111111 hen Rick and David Sher-
line insist that they thor-
oughly enjoy working
together on community the-
ater projects, it's no lie.
The father and son have
been thinking a lot about the
truth lately as they rehearse
a musical version of Pinoc-
chio, which will be performed
at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 11, at the Maple-Drake
Jewish Community Center
(JCC).
Mr. Sherline, who stays behind
the scenes to create special effects
each time falsehoods cause Pinoc-
chio's nose to lengthen, has been
part of other Tedd E. Bear Pro-
ductions planned by Nancy Gur-
win.
David, 12, who takes on the
supporting role of Lampwick,
raised the curtain on his dad's in-
terest.
"My son has been involved
with Nancy Gurwin productions
for about a year and a half," said
Mr Sherline, an insurance agent.
"He tried out for Oliver last year,
and I went to the callback audi-
tion with him and was intrigued
by it.
"After he got the part, I went
to several of the rehearsals and
later on found myself going to
each of the performances. With
Nancy's permission, I filmed one.
"Now it's become a tradition

that I videotape each of the ,pro-
ductions and show the videos at
the cast parties. Everybody en-
joys seeing themselves because
they don't get to see themselves
when they're on stage. I also
make duplicates available so cast
members can have their own
copies."
Mr. Sherline went from film-
ing the productions to appearing
in one last March, when his
daughter, Stephanie, 9, joined
David in the Fiddler on the Roof
company.
"I went to the very first re-
hearsal," he recalled. "After the
rehearsal was over, the director
asked if anybody knew somebody
who could perform a Russian
dance. I mentioned that I knew
someone, and she said that I
should have him come to the next
rehearsal.
"He was a friend of mine, and
he said he'd go if I went with him.
I went, not intending to be part
of the cast, but both of us ended
up in the play along with my chil-
dren."
Mr. Sherline volunteered to
put his energies behind the
scenes for the upcoming musical
when he was told someone was
needed to create puffs of smoke.
He remembered learning how to
do this through chemistry exper-
iments as a youngster.
While dad also recalls that

David liked performing since the
time he began to walk and talk,
he gives mom Tova Sherline cred-
it for involving their son with for-
mal stage groups.
She enrolled David in theater
camps and had him audition for
the Lathrup Youtheatre. Besides
the Nancy Gurwin productions,
David has appeared in school
plays and with the Bloomfield
Players.
"My character, Lampwick, is
one of the villains of the show,"
David said about his Pinocchio
role. "This is the first time I've
ever played the bad guy, and it's
the most fun I've ever had."
A seventh-grader at Abbott
Middle School in West Bloom-
field, where he has the lead in
The Journey, David additionally
is in the cast of Broadway Gold,
a locally touring musical revue
also produced by Nancy Gurwin.
"Being on stage to make peo-
ple smile and think is what I like
about the theater," said David,
who is considering becoming an
attorney and acting out emotions
in courtrooms.
"In Pinocchio, the cast is great,
and we have a lot of fun togeth-
er. Being close really helps the
cast bring out the best of the
show."
Because David devotes so
much time to the stage, he ap-
preciates that his father can be

part of the same activities.
"It's better to be with him than
without him," said David, a bass
clarinet player in his school band
and a party magician after school.
"David happens to be very ac-
tive in the performing arts so that
happens to be the area where we
spend the most time together,"
Mr. Sherline said. "We've gone to
Phantom of the Opera as a fam-
ily, but we also like to go to Pis-
ton basketball and Tiger baseball
games.
"I look at it this way. My son
and I have something to share as
he's growing up, and we have a
lot to talk about. That's what is
special for me."
With this production, the Sher-
lines may be helping to establish
a special relationship between an-
other performer and his or her
parent.
Mr. Sherline's extensive back-
stage responsibilities will prevent
him from making the usual
videos, and he plans on recruit-
ing someone else, leaving the
stage door open for one of the oth-
er parents to become intrigued by
the theater and a new family ex-
perience. ❑

Pinocchio is being performed
at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
11, at the Maple-Drake JCC.
For information, call (810) 352-
3729,,