AROUND TOWN

Leading Lady

JET supporters applaud founder Evelyn Orbach for 20 show-stopping years.

Sharon Quarters of Farmington Hills, Lila Lazarus of Commerce and Judy

Chamberlin of California with their mother, Evelyn Orbach of West Bloomfield

B

ack in 1989, the
first time the stage
was set, the audi-
ence took their seats, and the
curtain rose on a produc-
tion at the Jewish Ensemble
Theatre inside the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield, founding artistic
director Evelyn Orbach and
her staff were in awe.
"It took us two and a half
to three years before we put
together our first fully produced play; it
was like magic:' Orbach recalls. "We all
just looked at each other and said, Vow,
we really did this!'"
Now, two decades and more than 100
productions later, JET supporters are spell-
bound by all Orbach has accomplished.
From her dream of opening a professional
equity Jewish theater to address the issues
of the day (something that did not exist in
Michigan), Orbach, the JET board, and a
core group of supporters have created the
longest continuously running Jewish the-
ater in the country producing world pre-
mieres, showcasing international perform-
ers, and providing an educational outreach
program that's touched more than 600,000
students.

"Her creativity, insight and
compassion to envision what
is needed, and then to make it
happen, are truly extraordinary,"
said Christopher Bremer, JET's
managing director. "Evelyn cre-
ated a gift that has no bounds, is
without prejudice and is time-
less. It's a looking glass which
reflects our heritage even as
we explore new ideas, and it's a
legacy for future generations!'
More than 150 JET friends
and fans gathered at the West Bloomfield
home of Barbara and Sheldon Cohn
Sept. 14 for the fourth annual "Behind
the Scenes" gala honoring Orbach for her
drive, vision and dedication over the last
20 years. The evening included cocktails,
dinner, dessert and a performance of the
musical comedy Lovely. Among the trib-
utes, Orbach's daughters, Lila, Sharon and
Judy, presented a biographical description
of her life and career, weaving in titles of
dozens of plays that have appeared on the
JET stage. A playbill for the event was also
filled with personal notes and accolades
including a letter from Gov. Jennifer
Granholm who called the theater an
important cultural fixture in the com-
munity.

Sheldon and Barbara Cohn with their sons, Jonathan, 15, and Jeremy, 11, of West
Bloomfield with Judge Avern Cohn of Birmingham

"It is through the arts that we dis-
cover what it means to be fully human,"
Granholm's letter read. "You are helping
make our shared corner of the world
richer for all!'

A Class Act
Orbach was born with a passion for the-
ater; she calls acting "the core of her soul!'
As a child in New York City, she studied at
the Henry Street Playhouse, taking on her
first role at age 12 at the Jewish Theatre
for Children in New York. She attended
the "Fame" High School of Performing
Arts and was a theater major at Brooklyn
College. Orbach has worked professionally
on stage, radio and television throughout
her life.
"I never expected to have my own the-
ater," she says. All I wanted was to have a
regular artistic space where I could per-
form!'
While she has produced, directed and
acted in many shows at the JET including
The Diary of Anne Frank, Conversations
With My Father and Fiddler on the Roof
Orbach's role as artistic director has
shaped the theater's mission to "explore
issues of humanity and community from
a Jewish perspective, to provide a platform
for new voices and serve as a bridge of

understanding for the larger community."
She selectively pores over scripts from
dramas to comedies to musicals, care-
fully choosing plays that accomplish those
goals.
"I want every play we do to have sub-
stance; every play must have some intrin-
sic value besides fluff' Orbach says.
In 1995, she spearheaded the theater's
educational outreach effort bringing a
traveling performance of The Diary of
Anne Frank to dozens of area schools. The
Dorfman Foundation Youth Theatre now
regularly visits schools with original plays,
commissioned by JET, that explore issues
like bullying, tolerance and diversity.
"It's engaging, it grabs the kids and
holds them, and it speaks to them in their
language said Henrietta Hermelin
Weinberg of Southfield, another founding
JET member, actress and board member.
"The youth theater is truly something to
be proud of!"

A Season To Celebrate
Like any good drama, JET has had its
challenges along the way. Ticket sales only
cover half the theater's operating costs; the
rest of the $725,000 budget is made up of

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