Rosedale Players stages A.R.
Gurney's The Dining Room, a play
which creates an in-depth portrait of a
vanishing species
the upper middle-
class WASP — 8 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays, April 23-May 8, and 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 2, at the Upstage, 21728
Grand River, Detroit. The cast includes
Lindy Bruton of Southfield; Bobby
Silberberg of Farmington Hills is assis-
tant director. $10. (313) 532-4010.

The Arts Scene

In conjunction with the exhibit
"Treasures of the Jewish Heritage
from the Library of the Jewish
Theological Seminary at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, Professor Evelyn
Cohen, a teacher at JTS and a spe-
cialist in Italian Renaissance art and
illuminated Hebrew manuscripts,
speaks 8 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at
the DIA on Two Stars in the Galaxy:
The Prato Haggadah and Rothschild
Mahzor. The lecture is free and open
to the public. There will be a buffet
The Southfield Centre for the Arts
supper and private tour before the
screens the 1937 classic The Good
lecture, sponsored by the Graphic
Earth, Pearl•Buck's story of a simple
Arts Council of the DIA.
farm couple beset by
For more information,
greed and poverty, 7
or for an invitation to
p.m. Friday, April 23.
the 6-8 p.m. reception,
This was the last film
call
(313) 833-9830.
produced by Irving
David
Brody's paint-
Thalberg before his
ings, all titled A
death. Playing the
Thousand Peaks and
Chinese couple are
Myriad
Ravines, with
Jewish actors Louise
„
corresponding
"Region
Ranier, who won an
numbers, are about
Academy Award for
structure
— painterly
Best Actress, and Paul
structure.
His work will
Above:
Debbie
Dworkin,
Muni. $3, includes
be
shown
April 17-May
Steve
Tadevic
and
Scott
light refreshments.
22 in a solo exhibition
Forney in Stephen
(248) 424-9022.
at Revolution. An open-
Sondheim's `Assassins."
ing artist's reception will
Below: Sculpture by Joseph be held 5-8 p.m.
Wesner is on display at
Saturday, April 17, at
Mark Dvorak,
Birmingham's Hill Gallery.
the gallery, 23257
whose interactive per-
Woodward, Ferndale.
formances teach chil-
(248) 541-3444.
dren about the nearly
"Recent Works" by
forgotten aspects of
painter Glenn Goldberg
folk music, performs
and sculptor Joseph
1:30 p.m. Saturday,
Wesner are on display at
April 17, at Southfield
Hill Gallery, 407 W
Centre for the Arts.
Brown St., Birmingham,
His latest children's
through May 8.
recording, Old Songs
(248) 540-9288.
New People, received a
Parent's Choice Gold
Medal Award for
Excellence in
Author and U-M pro-
Children's Music.
fessor Anita Norich
$3.25 per person.
speaks
on "Jewish
(248) 424-9022.
Culture
in America"
See what farm life was like in the
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
April 22, at the
18th and 19th centuries when
Jimmy
Prentis
Morris
Building of
Greenfield Village hosts Spring Farm
the
Jewish
Community
Center of
Days 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday,
Metropolitan
Detroit
in
Oak Park.
April 22-25. $12.50 adults/$11.50
(248)
967-4030.
seniors/S7.50 children 5-12/under 5
Author Lev Raphael reads from his
free. (313)"271-1620.
newest
novel, The Death of the
The Oak Park Library presents a
Constant
Lover, 8-10 p.m. Thursday,
family program with a Renaissance
at Shaman Drum, 313 S.
22,
April
theme 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sunday, April
State
Sr.,
Ann
Arbor. (734) 662-7407.
18. (248) 691-7480.

The Big Screen

Family Fun

Whatnot

verbal assaults. In fact, Slayton's debut
CD, Raging Bully, is a recording taken
from a live performance, and it aptly
illustrates his "rake no prisoners" style.
'm not a good Jew. But I'm not
Perhaps owing to his boyish charm,
a bad Jew," says comedian
people
laugh with Bobby Slayton even
Bobby Slayton, the Bronx-born
when
they
think they shouldn't. He's
"Yid Vicious" of stand-up.
on stage to have fun with the audi-
He's not a bad Jew, he maintains,
ence and his trademark not-so-warm-
because he is concerned about the
and-fuzzy voice barely masks his gen-
future of the Jewish people and is sad-
uine sense of
dened that millions
humor. Even his
were wiped out dur-
most mocking
ing the Holocaust,
stereotypical
New
that intermarriage has
York Jewish, guilt-
further decreased the
inducing motherly
Jewish population
tone comes across
and that Yiddish arts
as
more amusing
and language struggle
bn
than annoying.
to remain alive.
Slayton certainly
"It's a really rich culture
never
cuts "the tribe".
and it's gone," he says.
any slack. "My par-
What makes him a
ents were very conve-
less-upstanding Jew, he
nient Jews," he says.
jokes, is that he has sever-
"We had an electric
al tattoos, including one
menorah. On Yom
on his shoulder that bears
Kippur, my parents
the name of his 9-year-
fasted, but the kids
old daughter, Natasha.
only had to fast until
The one he enjoys show-
ing off is the rather gaudy Bobby Slay ton: "I grew up noon. I grew up in a
picture of a woman that
in a meshu ga household." meshuga household."
Though he isn't
wraps around his ankle.
raising his daughter
His mom wouldn't
religiously ("Hebrew school turned
describe him as a nice Jewish boy,
me off to organized religion"),
either, says Slayton. "She's always say-
Slayton
claims he's a great father. "My
ing to me, 'Maybe if you were nicer
daughter knows she's Jewish," he says,
like your friend Jerry Seinfeld, you'd
"and, more importantly, I'm there for
have a show.'"
her 135 percent. When I'm home,
But nice is hardly the niche that
she gets every moment of my time."
this "Pit Bull of Comedy" has carved
With 300 comedy bookings a
with his acerbic wit. For much of his
year,
plus film credits that include
22-year career, Slayton's slogan has
Get
Shorty,
Ed Wood, Witynes World
been, "If you can't make fun of your-
The
Rat
Pack, Slayton's family
and
2
self, make fun of other people.
time is limited, but the bad boy of
And no ethnic group, body type,
stand-up vows always to be the good
gender, economic class or sexual
dad. Natasha, his guardian angel,
preference escapes Slayton's rapid-
sits forever on his shoulder. fl
fire diatribes. When he opens his
mouth, his fans accept that it's open
season on the audience.
Bobby Slayton performs 8:15
Should you catch Slayton's act at
and 10:45 p.m. Friday and
Joey's Comedy Club in Dearborn
Saturday, April 23-24, and 7
April 23-25, prepare to be targeted.
p.m. Sunday, April 25, at Joeys'
Those sitting at the front tables have
Comedy Club, 5070 Schaefer,
no protection against his unrelenting
Dearborn. $12/Friday and
Sunday; $15/Saturday. Dinner
Noma Faingold writes for the Jewish
show packages are available.
Bulletin of Northern California. Linda
(313) 584-8885.
Bachrack contributed to this story

NOMA FAINGOLD
Special to The Jewish News

The "Yid Vicious"
of comedy brings his
act to Dearborn.

,

I)

4/16
1999

Detroit Jewish News

79