Arts ig Life Good (And Funny) Grief! Humor writer Esther Blumenfeld debuts her first play at Detroit Repertory Theatre. BILL CARROLL Special to the Jewish News JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY OCTOBER 22-NOVEMBER 23, 2003 DIRECTED BY: GILLIAN EATON Imagine... Israel and Palestine are sharing a loft space in New York, America and Britain are aquaintances who've come in to help sort out the territory and re-write the lease. This outrageous dark comedy comes direct from Off Broadway and will leave you... Strong language, viewer discretion advised For tickets call, 248.788.2900 Home of the Finest Italian and Middle-East Cuisine ALL NEW SPECIALS WIT CHEF AO- 10% OFF CATERING MENU - lutchen OPEN FOR BREAKFAST LUNCH & DINNER CARRY-OUT & CATERING 10 TO 1000 MIDDLE-EAST•ITALIAN•CHINESE & MORE 'FARMINGTON HILLS 01 = 248-1355-4150 (10-1000) MIDDLE-EAST•ITALIAN•CHINESE With Coupon • Expires 1 I /30/03 CO Yo $1°O OFF BREAKFAST (Open 9-9 Sunday) With Purchase Of GreaterValue Meal With Coupon • Expires 11/30/03 W" Purchase of FREE Greater Value Meal FREE Greater Value Meal Purchase LUNCH 3 I 005 ORCHARD LAKE RD. (Up To $3.00) With Coupon • Expires 11/30/03 DINNER f W" (Up To $6.00) With Coupon • Expires 11/30/03 South of 14 Mile • FAX# 248-855-3252 Voted Best Coney Island 2 Years In A Row NOW OPEN IN DOWNTOWN ROYAL OAK Mediterranean 10/31 2003 68 BISTRO www.Assaggibistro.com 757960 sther Blumenfeld is under- standably excited — and a bit nervous — about the pre- miere of her first play, Here and There, which debuts Thursday, Nov. 6, and runs through Dec. 31 at Detroit Repertory Theatre. The 194-seat theater is sold out for the opener, mainly to Blumenfeld's rela- tives and friends. They are joining her from around the country to show their support for the new playwright, who narrowly escaped the Holocaust with her family before World War II and became an award-winning humorist in America. "Here and There is a 90-minute come- dy; if no one laughs, it's a 15-minute tragedy," Blumenfeld quips from her home in Tucson, Ariz. When her husband, Warren, died five years ago at age 62 after a long illness, she thought her writing career was over. But "I'm pretty flexible," she says. "I zigged when I could have zagged. My life took a dramatic turn — literally. And this play is the result." Here and There is an unsentimental story about love, decency and undy- ing friendship, proving that humor is a potent tool for coping with life — and death. The underlying question of the play: Can grief be funny? The answer in this case is that it can. The plot unfolds as the recently deceased Aaron, a teacher and a scientist who loved to joke, comes back to haunt his wife, Becca, a writer, who can be very funny in her own right. The action cen- ters around Becca's poignant and mostly humorous attempts at keeping her head out of what she calls the "pity pot." "For people who like a play with clever repartee that touches tender nerves, Here and There should be a spe- cial treat," says Director Bruce Milan, a co-founder of DRT. "There is Becca who is here, and Aaron, who is there, plus Josh, their son the actor, and two close friends, making a lovable combination of intelligence, wit, compassion and tenderness." Blumenfeld says she's flattered that Millan, an award-winning director, believes her humor is universal. And it helps to soothe Blumenfeld's opening-night jitters to know that one of the lead roles, Becca, will be played by Amyre Makupson, an African- American, who is well-known in the - - Detroit area as the local Emmy-Award- winning former television anchor- woman at UPN-50. "I haven't met Amyre yet, but I hear she's a wonderful actress, just like many other TV women around the country who also are dramatic and comedic actresses," says Blumenfeld, who'll also attend the Nov. 7-8 performances. Other members of the troupe — DRT is renowned for its multiracial casting — include John Forman, Jeff Thomakos, Milfordean Luster and Herman McCain. Here and There is largely autobio- graphical, Blumenfeld says; it dwells a lot on her life as a widow. `After my husband died, I even took out books from the library on being a widow, and my friends urged me to write something about it. The play is about functional people living in a time of dysfunctional families. - I try to help people who may have their own prob- lems in this regard," she says. • "The play also covers the universal humor in Jewishness. I use several Jewish expressions, and there's a refer- ence to a bar mitzvah. The multiracial casting is a big asset to the production. The Repertory Theatre has a great repu- Esther Blumenfeld: "The play is about functional people living in a time of dysfunctional fiimilies."