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AROUND TOWN

Staff photos by Angie Baan

Hosts Brian and Annette Adelman of West Bloomfield flank comedian Marc Weiner.

JET Artistic Director Evelyn Orbach of West Bloomfield and JET
President Joel Dorfman of Bloomfield Hills

Laughter Is Center Stage

Gala's Jewish-themed comic points up comedy on JET playbill.

G

Josette and Joel Silver of Franklin

Marcia Boxman of West Bloomfield,
Yokov Faytlin of Southfield and Judy
Solomon of Birmingham

iving Jews the opportunity to
laugh at themselves is an art
New York-based comedian Marc
Weiner has perfected. The longtime comic,
clown, puppeteer and television producer,
who was once a regular on
Saturday Night Live, gave about
175 supporters of the Jewish
Ensemble Theatre (JET) plenty
to chuckle about during a pri-
vate performance Sept. 10 at the
home of Annette and Brian
Adelman of West Bloomfield.
Weiner, who currently pro-
vides the voices of several
characters on the hit animated
children's series Dora the
Explorer, served as the headliner for the
theater's annual "Behind the Scenes" gala.
His routine focused on his journey from
an un-affiliated Jew back to Judaism.
"I was thrown out of Hebrew school
and I didn't learn when I was growing up
because I thought I was very funny," Weiner
said."Now, I actually get paid to make
those same jokes, and I'm paid by the same
rabbis who threw me out when I was grow-
ing up — so, there is a God after all!"
Comedy is also an important focus of
the 2007-2008 JET season, which fea-
tures a world-premiere of the humorous
show Saying Kaddish With My Sister and
a dozen playlets called Oy! among other
productions.
"We really have a phenomenal season

this year:' said Eveyln Orbach of West
Bloomfield, the JET's artistic director. "We
open with a Pulitzer Prize nominee, Old
Wicked Songs, which runs Oct. 9 to Nov. 4."
Honored at the gala was the JET's
founding president, Jim August
of Bloomfield Hills. Money
raised at the event benefits the
theater's main stage season and
JET Youth Education Services/
Dorfman Foundation Youth
Theatre, which has touring pro-
ductions that visit area schools.
"I was there at the beginning
and I was fortunate to be able to
help the JET get started;' August
said. "I think it's important that
artists have a venue where they present
their interpretation of Jewish ideas."
Spotted in the gala crowd were:
Honorary event chair Barbara Kratchman
and JET president Joel Dorfman, both
of Bloomfield Hills; Irving and Barbara
Nusbaum, Danny and Illana Greenberg,
and Byron and Dorothy Gerson, all of
Franklin; Gerald and Barbara Cook
and Howard and Wendy Hertz, all of
Farmington Hills; and Conrad and Lynda
Giles of Bloomfield Hills. '7_

For a complete 2007-2008 JET
schedule or to purchase tickets, go
to www.jetthreatre.org or call the
box office, (248) 788-2900.

Sheila Stone of Huntington Woods, Edie
Slotkin of Bloomfield Hills and Carolyn
Greenberg of Franklin

Donald Slotkin of Bloomfield Hills and
Allen Rubiner of Huntington Woods

September 20 2007

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