STN Entertainment
JET
The OffiBroadway theater
in West Bloomfield is
flying high.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ropuision
Henrietta Hermelin
Weinberg and John
Manfredi in JET's
production of Harvey
Fierstein's Torch
Song Trilogy.
hen Evelyn Orbach looks at the loved the best in her life: theater and Judaism. Gath-
The theater space was found after an extensive
theater in the basement of the ering a cadre of devoted benefactors who shared her search of area storefronts and existing theaters, all of
Jewish Community Center, she vision, Orbach and the group dedicated themselves which proved too expensive to renovate. The Jewish
sees how far the company she to forming a professional Jewish theater company.
Community Center in West Bloomfield offered JET or-
"We decided it had to be a theater with a social con- ganizers free office space as well as the Aaron DeRoy
founded has come.
As the artistic director of JET science, and it had to have a connection to Judaism," Theatre, a basement theater designed with single lev-
(Jewish Ensemble Theater), she she said. "Everyone who was involved was convinced el seating and a graduated stage for cafe theater.
remembers tackling the less than advantageous lay- it ought to be."
"The theater space had as many advantages as it did
out of the theater space in JET's early years.
disadvantages," said Jim August, JET's first
"In the front of the stage was the orchestra
president.
pit," she recalled. "The stage was designed in
Those disadvantages became known when
such a way that if you weren't careful where you
the first staged readings were held in 1989
were walking, you'd fall into the pit.
and later when the first full season was set in
"But we worked with what we had and mold-
t took candy bars to confirm Evelyn Orbach's suspicion that she was deal- 1990. Expansion of theater programs was
ed it into what it is," Orbach said.
ing with a different crowd.
hampered by complaints — from company and
Now, with several major changes, most re-
One day last year as JET performed The Diary of Anne Frank before audience members as well as reviewers —
cently a newly revamped lobby, the theater
a crowd at the Millennium Theatre in Southfield, the concession stand about the theater's home.
space more closely matches the professional na- sales took a wild turn.
"I remember one of the first reviews said
ture of an equity company that performs four
"Usually, we sell a few items, small things, during our regular perfor- our work was wonderful, but the theater was
mainstage plays and a festival of staged read- mances," she said about the concession sales at JET's home in the
ings each year.
Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. "But these kids, they
But the theater has grown more than in the bought tons and tons of candy bars. I couldn't believe it."
physical sense. While the stunning new lobby
That was probably because the crowd consisted almost entirely of
is an exciting change, the professional compa- teen-agers who were participating in one of two JET educational out-
ny has come into its own as one of the country's reach projects for local school-aged children.
only professional Jewish theaters, adding ex-
The first, Thorn Apple Valley Youth Theater (TAVYT), has been
tensive outreach and educational components in operation for the past three years, sponsoring performances by
to its offerings and expanding its audience ex- JET in schools. The productions, like this year's Shades of Grey
and
ponentially.
I Was Just Kidding ... , are geared to provoke discussion about the
`The theater has traveled an ascending route," generational and cultural gaps as well as other differences between
said JET vice-president Jonathan Frank. "We people.
are very optimistic about the future. We have
Joel Dorfman, president and chief executive officer of Thom Ap-
solidified [the theater] in the past few years. ple Valley, said he was excited to provide local schoolchildren the op-
We've moved into the community, and people portunity to see such theater.
know us and what we are about."
"Thom Apple Valley is pleased to be an integral part of the youth
The theater began in the late 1980s in the theater and to brine such quality productions to the youth of our area,
mind of Orbach, then a professional actress who productions kids might not otherwise have the opportunity to see
spent her days shuttling back and forth from or benefit from," Dorfman said.
Michigan to New York to pursue a profession-
The second outreach project is a touring company which for the
al stage career.
past two years has performed The Diary of Anne Frank about 70
"When things picked up in New York, I times to high school audiences who came from all over the state to
couldn't come back [home] as often," she said, the Millennium Theatre in Southfield.
adding that her husband, Cantor Harold Or-
"For many of the children, it was their first experience with that
bach of Temple Israel, was supportive but fre- period of history and for many more, it was their first experience with
quently couldn't join her because of his local live theater," said Bryant M. Frank, a former JET
commitments.
pres i dent.
Susan Meerson was
"I came back to Detroit and did a lot of com-
JET will continue its outreach program this year named Best Actress
mercial work," she said. "It was good, it was lu- with a new play, Anne Frank and Me.
of the Year by the
crative, but my heart is in the theater."
"We have a commitment to provide educational Detroit News tor her
With her passion firmly anchored on stage, outreach and see that it expands in the future," role in JET's
production of
Orbach committed herself to the two things she said Jonathan Frank, JET vice president. ❑
Reaching Out
I
Family Secrets.