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Director! Director! from page 51
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58
November 30 a 2006
„N
ning acting and won an award for his
many Web sites. "For a long time, I was
work with West Side Story.
embarrassed about The Evil Dead,"
He was a song-and-dance man in
she said. "It's a real cheesy, violent hor-
some local shows and commercials,
ror film — but I've made peace with
once playing Nathan Detroit in Guys
my recognition among horror-movie
and Dolls, "but directing is what I
fans."
always loved best," he
Sandweiss has been in
said.
three more horror-genre
After spending a
films and keeps getting
movie scripts to read. But
year as the adminis-
now she's taking advan-
trator of a Springfield,
Mass., synagogue,
tage of her early musical
training (she learned to
Lit, 57, embarked
on a career as a JCC
play cello) and experience
executive director -
in local musicals, such as
that has taken him to
Of Thee I Sing.
Houston, San Antonio
She earned a University
and Austin, Texas,
of Michigan degree in
before coming to
theater and drama and a
Detroit.
master's in arts admin-
"Early in my life,
istration, then worked as
Director Mark Lit: "I'm
an administrator for a
I wanted some type
grateful to JET and the
symphony orchestra and
of theater career,
JCC board for allowing
but Judaism was too
later a Jewish federation
me the time to express
in North Carolina.
important to me; my myself in this way."
"Acting just didn't fit
wife and I decided
into
my life at that time,
the best course in life
for me would be to serve the Jewish
as I was raising two children and
community in other capacities:' he
busy with other things:' Sandweiss
explained. "With the children grown,
said. Lit and his wife, Joyce, have been
married 32 years, and have four sons,
I've had some singing engagements,
did a one-woman show of Jewish
three of whom are musicians.
music and appeared in some other
Along the way, he always found
local theater productions. I did two
time to direct at least one musical a
year and has written three full-length
auditions for the Jacques Brel part."
Lit auditioned 40 people and
musicals himself, on political cartoons,
describes his cast as "incredibly talent-
aging and one with a Russian twist.
ed. We hope to bring back the life, love
During one five-year stretch in San
and breadth of Jacques Brel," said Lit.
Antonio, he won three local awards for
"His spirit and soul need to be alive
best director of a musical.
again and living in Paris." E
"I directed Jacques Brel in San
Antonio, so I hope to pass along that
experience to the JET cast," he added.
JET's production of Jacques Brel
"I'm grateful to JET and the JCC board
Is Alive and Well and Living in
for allowing me the time to express
Paris opens 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,
myself in this way."
On Stage
The four cast members of Brel are:
Jewish performer Ellen Sandweiss
of Berkley, and Michelle Hooks-
Stackpoole of Harper Woods, John
DeMerell of Walled Lake and Rusty
Mewha of Plymouth.
Sandweiss, 47 and divorced
with two children, grew up in the
Birmingham area and attended Groves
High School with Sam Raimi, who
became a famous movie director (the
Spider-Man films) and put her in his
first well-known effort, the 1981 hor-
ror flick The Evil Dead.
She was surprised as anyone when
the low-budget film became a cult
sensation with thousands of fans and
Dec. 5, and runs through Jan. 6
in the Aaron DeRoy Theater at
the Jewish Community Center,
6600 West Maple Road, in West
Bloomfield. Performances are at
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays,
5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2
p.m. Sundays.
A special matinee at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 27, replaces that
evening's show. A New Year's Eve
celebration will follow a 9 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 31, performance.
Regular tickets: $29-$39, with
discounts for seniors and stu-
dents. Tickets and information:
(249) 788-2900.