THE ZIP YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DO WVTO WN TO GET I TWIST OF FATE from page 75 "The best Pizza in Metro Detroit" "Tops on my list... Their Filet Mignon" John Tanasychuk Detroit Free Press January 8th, 1999 • Pasta Specialties • Pizza • Steaks Chops • Poultry • Seafood • Cocktails p OPEN DAILY - LUNCH & DINNER OPEN WEEKDAYS UNTIL 2:00 AM WEEKENDS UNTIL 3:30 AM A Ferndale Favorite Since 1961 OUTDOOR PATIO!! Italian-American 01110 1S Family Restaurant Woodward at 9 Mile • (248) 548-5005 DETROIT'S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT LOCATION PRESENTS MITZI CV Okin, 30, came up with the idea for by the two actors and the composer, the play after going through his own who performs off to the side. spiritual renewal. Raised with a very "This is a traveling play, which peripheral view of Judaism, he had a means it is still different every time bar mitzvah but didn't care very much and every different place it plays," says about religion for a long time after Okin, planning to tour with it to that. Instead, he built his life around Michigan, where he will be stage man- an interest in theater, film and music. ager and operate the lights. "I didn't choose to focus on writing The very religious, the very obser- for theater until I was 17, and I vant, respond more to the religious entered the writing program at New character and his perspective, whereas a York University," Okin recalls. "The everyone else responds more to the stuff I used to do [until] three years secular character who becomes more ago was cutting edge and shocking. spiritual. The play, as it stands now, is "I was living in California trying to a little ambiguous at the end. make it in the entertainment industry, Members of the audience can write and I was doing OK working a lit- their own conclusions. tle bit as a writer. My wife and I "After people see this show, decided to explore Judaism again there's usually a very positive feel- in some way and went to a ing of unity that seems to be pal- Friday night service. pable. I can't document this, "We just walked into a but it's a gut feeling that I synagogue, and the have, which is definitely the feeling rabbi brought us home for a Shabbat of the meal. What we people experienced that who bring evening opened this show into their communities." our eyes to the The performance for Torah and the the Detroit Jewish community potential for spiri- will honor Dr. Allen and Andrea tuality that led us Stawis for their work with the spon- on a different path. soring synagogue. Once I became more Okin's company also is observant as a Jew, I Avi Kuntsler will decided that I wanted to play the English and touring Second Chances, a Twist of Faith sequel, which combine my writing experi- Hebrew songs he ence with my quest for composed for "Twist has the commodities broker of Faith," a two-per- trying to reconnect with his spiritual growth." son play with music. estranged father. Okin and his wife, Lisa, /- Glad both plays are mov- an entertainment attorney, ing into larger venues, Okin also is moved back to New York to .start a trying to get an earlier, more secular production company, b.t. media. The play produced. Additionally, he has "b.t." stands for baal teshuva, someone begun writing a musical. Gurin is who returns to observance in Judaism. working on a three-person play. A newspaper ad for a writer connected "Our upcoming productions will the Okins with Michael Gurin, a have some Jewish twists to them but a short-fiction writer whose life was tak- little less than our current two shows," ing a similar turn. Okin says. "I think we'll be producing "Michael had a different [personal] shows that are less obviously Jewish but story but a similar type of feeling heavily spiritual, based on teachings of about being successful in the enter- the Torah, and really universal." Fl tainment industry and growing as a Jew," Okin explains. "I created the concept for this play, and we would take turns writing it and going over it Twist of Faith will be per- until it all came out. We had a staged formed 7:30 p.m. Monday, July reading and heard how it sounded." 26, at the Millennium Theatre in Careful not to call Twist of Faith a Southfield, followed by an after- musical, Okin explains that the two- glow. Tickets are $50/$100/$150 person play with music has English adults; $25 young adults 30 and and Hebrew songs composed by Avi under and seniors 65 and older; Kunstler. Okin discovered Kunstler's $18 students. For reservations or talent for guitar-based, folk-rock, reli- more information, call the Torah gious melodies through a recording Center at (248) 855-6170 or found in a Jewish culture store. The e - mail at bctc@aol.com . production features numbers presented **** "If there is a better show in town... it has to be the one that takes place back stage" - Martin F Kohn, Detroit Free Press * * * "The show is two hours of fun... wonderfully wacky" - Michael H. Margolin, Detroit News 1 0 1.9 FM LIVE JAZZ IN ria GAA,PEN metrotimes THE CENTURY CLUB RESTAURANT NOW OPEN! WD THURSDAY-SATURDAY Theatre & DiltilveariPlaaebklea.geS I L Join us for dinner before or after the show. Upscale cuisine in a comfortable supper club setting. 3 96 3 9 8 0 0 3 333 1 Madison Ave. • Detroit, MI 48226 OFFICIAL SPONSORS OWN MiiivZSAWF Call Nicole for groups of 15 or more (313) 962-2913. (248) 645-6666 www.liekernonstr.com Eh:trait KIVI TV Advertise in our Arts & Entertainment Section! verstorr. /fp ffielf/ d t f A vid JNArts & Entertainment Call The Sales Department (248)354.7123 Ext. 209 78W11111 MEWS 'TN Detroit Jewish News 7/16 1999 85