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SUZANNE CHESSLER

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Comedian Shecky Greene, who will
perform at a benefit for Kadima,
has fought his own battles
with clinical depression.

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SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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Shecky Greene:
"I do a lot of
Jewish humor.
That's what I
was brought up
with and that's
what I know."

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hecky Greene has brought laughs to millions of
fans, but in the early years, he aimed his jokes
at a target audience of one — himself.
Humor, he thought, would snap him out of
what was to become a lifelong battle with clinical de-
pression.
Although he ultimately needed medication
and therapy — and staying away from
bad women, he likes to add — to get
him through the rough times, his wit
continued to ease the personal pain
while carrying him through a suc-
cessful career.
Greene brings that wit to Kadi-
ma members and friends as they
watch his Oct. 3 benefit perfor-
mance at Orchestra Hall. The
fund-raiser is co-chaired by
Eleanor and Leonard
Aronovitz and Carole and
Sam Sobel.
The entertainer, as
much as anyone, under-
stands the organization's
need to raise funds to
provide support services
for adults with psychi-
atric disabilities. In light
of his firsthand experiences,
he calls this group of volun-
teers "great" and "saintly."
"I've said to my psychiatrist,
`Don't get me too well because I'll
be out of show business,' " Greene
will quip to a crowd.
"The humor was covering up what
really was inside of me," the career co-
median said. "I was very, very
young when it all started.
"Basically, I'm a manic depressive
personality, and I really suffered with
it. I think it's hereditary; I know my
mother had it, and my aunt had a
nervous breakdown.
"The thing I've been fighting for
is to face this, talk about it openly
and not be ashamed. We can talk
about somebody who has a bro-
ken leg or cancer, but too often it
seems a crime to talk about some-
body with mental illness.
"If we have a chemical imbalance in our
bodies, we can't help it. That's the way we
were born."

reeve

Noting that attitudes toward the emotionally dis-
turbed have become more sophisticated over the years,
Greene, 71, vows to keep pushing for more change.
In contrast, he believes that comedy really hasn't
changed all that much over the years he's been in the
business. The humor comes from observing people and
how they respond to their surroundings.
Dialects have been his specialty.
"When I come to Detroit, Pll talk about things there,"
he said. "Car phones are popular, and I'll have some-
thing to say about the way Detroiters use them.
"I do a lot of Jewish humor. That's what I was
brought up with, and that's what I know."
Greene, who is from Chicago, began his career near
Milwaukee while still in college.
"I wanted to become a physical education teacher,"
he explained. "Unfortunately, I was very bad at Eng-
lish, and I was very bad at history. I also was very bad
at geography, and my arithmetic wasn't too good!"
Greene had extended engagements in New Orleans
and Miami before returning to his hometown to work_
at a plush nightclub. A move to Las Vegas seemed a
natural step to opportunity, and he worked in the ho-
tel lounges.
He can look back on introducing Elvis to Vegas au-
diences when the superstar singer performed as the
comic's opening act.
Taking some breaks from standup to appear in films
like Splash and Tony Rome as well as TV shows such
as "Combat," Greene has come to oppose the extreme
violence that dominates many of today's dramas.
"This is not talent," he commented. "Where's the
acting? Soon there will be no more Oscars for actors
and actresses. They'll all go to people creating the spe-
cial effects."
Except for the comedians using shock language and
stories, Greene likes to listen to the newcomers.
"The wonderful thing for young comedians today is
that they mix with each other and give each other
ideas," he said. "A guy can go on television for three
minutes and become a star. Somebody could see him
and give him a part on another show.
Married and the father of two adopted daughters,
a lawyer and a florist, Greene makes his home in Cal-
ifornia. What especially entertains him is an evening
out enjoying a favorite restaurant or watching a non-
violent film.
"I'm happy whenever somebody else picks up the
bill," he jokes. ❑

Shecky Greene will entertain to benefit Kadima
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Orchestra Hall. Sin-
gle ticket prices start at $75 and may be purchased

by calling (810) 559-8235 or faxing (810) 559-0 9.