J
Entertainmen
Weighing In
U-M students' Fat City Theatre Company looks at social conventions.
Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News
Paskin, who performed in
director responsibilities with
shows throughout high school
Kate Binkow, a sophomore
Ann Arbor
and was a member of the
from Atlanta. "We have our
Yiddish Arts Ensemble, is
rehearsals at the university and
directing Neil LaBute's Bench
in our apartments, and we
at City Theatre Company, new on
Seat, which is about two col-
hold our meetings in cafes."
the Ann Arbor scene, is serving a
lege students on a date and
stage menu that has nothing to do
Paskin and Binkow had the
just getting to know each
idea for the company last
with gaining weight. It has everything to
other.
do with gaining weighty insights — seri-
spring and connected with
He appears in Christopher
eight other students. As a
ous and humorous. .
Durang's The Hardy Boys and
group,
they decided to seek
The troupe, formed and made up of
Marc Paskin: Fat City
University of Michigan theater students, • the Mystery of Where Babies
out
plays
by both well-
Theatre Company
Come From, an adventure par- co-founding member
known writers and local
debuts Jan. 15-16 at the Kerrytown
ody; Alan Ball's Made for a
Concert House with six short plays picked
dramatists just getting start-
and artistic director.
Woman, an exploratiOn of con-
ed.
by founders to get the audience thinking
sumerism; and Craig Lucas'
Other members include
in different ways about important issues.
What I Meant Was, a satire on being politi- Elyse Handleman, of West Bloomfield, a
Eat Our Shorts, the inaugural produc-
cally correct.
design and production major serving as
tion, takes a comic look at social conven-
technical adviser; Alexandra Odell, of
tions: dating, marriage, masculinity, femi-
Other plays are David Ives' Time Flies, a
science-fiction understanding of shOrt-
Traverse City, a theater performance major
nism and sex education.
"We really wanted to create another the- lived love, and Alan Ball's The M Word, a
taking on the role of business manager;
commentary about falling in love in the
and Gina Rattan, of Connecticut, an aspir-
ater venue for young artists:' says Marc
Paskin, a sophomore from Chicago taking
presence of other ambitions.
ing director.
"We picked our company from people
The rest of the troupe members, spe-
on responsibilities as artistic director and
cializing in theater performance, include
involving himself directly with three of the we knew who are committed to theater,
and we make all of our decisions as a
Sara Greenfield of Plymouth, Brian
plays. "We hope our programs will be
provocative, interesting and accessible.
group:' says Paskin, who shares artistic
Holden of Traverse City, Ali Kresch of New
F
York, Nick Lang of Franklin and Alex
Polcyn of Highland.
"Kate and I had seed money and dona-
tions from family members to get this all
started," says Paskin, looking ahead to a
longer production planned at another
venue. "We're going to have a reception
after the first performance to celebrate
and hopefully get more funds for the non-
profit company."
Founding members of the theater com-
pany hope they can expand to include
guest artists in future productions.
Balancing studies and Fat City means
keeping academics first.
"I'm really getting an appreciation for
the business side of theater:' says Paskin,
scouting more permanent space. "I hope
we'll continue to grow." Ell
See Eat Our Shorts 8 p.m.
Sunday-Monday, Jan. 15-16, at
the Kerrytown Concert House,
415 N. Fourth Ave., in Ann
Arbor. $5-$10. (734) 769-2999.
New Sparks
SoulFarm "unwinds" in "spiritual" concert at Young Israel of Oak Park. •
N
oah Solomon Chase and C
The two start-up members of
Lanzbom were driving across
SoulFarm captured their style of com-
bining musical sounds from their Jewish
America as singers and multi-
instrumentalists
heritage with world
music styles. They
when a farmer in
bring original
one audience invit-
songs from their
ed them to stay at
half-dozen CDs to a
his place overnight
suburban concert 8
and offered them a
p.m. Saturday, Jan.
"soul farmer's
14, at Young Israel
breakfast" in the
of Oak Park. The
morning.
sponsor is the
Both entertain-
Young Israel
ers liked the sound
C Lanzbom and Noah Solomon Chase
Council of
and sense of the
Metropolitan
phrase "soul farm- of SoulFarm
Detroit, the
ing" and quickly
umbrella organiza-
decided to turn it
tion
for
Young
Israel
of
Oak Park and
into the name for what would become
Young
Israel
of
Southfield.
sometimes a duo and sometimes a quar-
"Unwind," from our latest CD, could be
tet.
52
January 12 2006
called our signature song right now,"
says Chase, 36, who explains that at
other times he and Lanzbom appear
with Mark Ambrosino on drums and
vocals and Jeff Langston on bass. "It's
about enjoying life and its small
moments. It's about enjoying nature —
the moonlight and the stars above."
The performance will he considered
spiritual rather than religious.
"The two of us have been together for
10 years," Chase says. "We met in Israel
and later moved to New York. We shared
a vision of wanting to create something
that hadn't been heard before by com-
bining music in ways that gives off some
new sparks."
The original members, who define
some of their work as "new American
music," generally work together to write
their songs. Chase, as the lead singer,
tends to focus on the lyrics. They record
on their own label, Desert Rock Records.
Besides appearing in their own con-
certs, SoulFarm has toured other coun-
tries and opened for big-name enter-
tainers, including Bruce Hornsby, Shawn
Colvin and Grateful Dead drummer
Mickey Hart.
"We draw from our heritage and hope
to move people from all walks of life,"
says Chase, who hasn't been in Michigan
for a few years. "We play only organic
instruments, and we include Jewish
themes." 0
SoulFarm performs 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 14, at Young
Israel of Oak Park, 15140 W. 10
Mile. $25. (248) 352-6550.