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Dry Bones

Editorial

A Playful JET Stream

p

rofessional Jewish theater compa-
nies that survive 20 years are more
the exception than the rule. But
count JET among the survivors — and the
Detroit Jewish community is the richer for it.
JET certainly has strong theatrical genes: It's
the longest continuously running Jewish the-
ater in North America, chalking up 100-plus
dramas, comedies, musicals and traveling
performances along the spotlighted way.
The brainchild of founding artistic direc-
tor Evelyn Orbach, the Jewish Ensemble
Theatre is one of Jewish Detroit's cultural
gems. While catering to the Jewish commu-
nity, the productions have stood the test of
time as just plain good theater.
JET'S 20th anniversary is a testimonial
to Orbach's scrappy determination, Pied
Piperish magnetism and utter refusal to fail.
In her mind, there was no way a culturally
appreciative Jewish community like Detroit
would deprive itself of cutting-edge profes-
sional theater that would test the margins
but never waver in striving for excellence.
Orbach talks with a touch of melancholy
in reflecting on JET'S determination and sup-
port. "In the beginning; she told the JN,"it
was quite a struggle. I had people who would
not help because they said we couldn't make
it work. Then there were people who got very
excited about the idea. Fortunately, there

were people who helped us a great deal."
Over the years, JET has soared with many
stage triumphs and fallen hard with oth-
ers. Musicals have never quite been its best
product. Drama has a grip on that although
comedy has offered quality variety.
JET has received 200 nominations from
four newspapers for theatrical excellence.
Awards have come for best play, best season,
best original musical score, best actor, best
director and best scenic design among oth-
ers.
JET has produced nine world premieres
and dozens of Michigan premieres. It has
brought international actors to Michigan. It
has hosted two Association of Jewish Theatre
conferences. It has introduced Thursday-
night question-and-answer sessions after
performances; opening-night wine-and-
cheese receptions; and a New Year's Eve
post-performance party. JET'S educational
outreach programs, begun in 1995, include
an annual production of The Diary of Anne
Frank as well as original plays, commis-
sioned by JET, that tackle tough issues like
bullying, tolerance, diversity and humanity.
Thus far, 600,000 students have taken part.
At times, art also has imitated life. In 2001,
after the 9-11 Al Qaida attacks on America,
the theater began production of Romeo
and Juliet with Arabs and Jews, setting

ALL OF ISRAEL'S
POLITICAL PARTIES
WERE A UNIQUE

Shakespeare's play
in Jerusalem in 1920
under the British
Mandate. In conjunc-
tion with the produc-
tion, JET started a
"stop hate" campaign
and invited other
organizations to join
in.
JET'S $750,000
budget is a per-
petual challenge.
Ticket sales generate
just 50 percent of
JET'S actual costs,
which include the
rising price of gaso-
line for the vehicles
that transport the
traveling perform-
ers to school stages.
Patrons and sponsors
have been a godsend.
Older folks love the JET and are its most-
loyal audience. Attracting younger ticket buy-
ers, who have so many other lures like mov-
ies, bar nights, young-adult events, sports
and Royal Oak, is a never-ending pursuit.
Evelyn Orbach's dreams for JET include
a larger, new theater to replace its venerable

(-

ME NEW
POLITICS

BLEND OF
IDEOLOGY AND
BLIND 1.1tAGER
FOR POWER.

-\

www.drybonesblog.com

but limited home in the West Bloomfield JCC
and a substantial endowment to assure JET'S
funding from year to year. We hope she's
thinking about an able line of succession as
well; she deserves to slow down a bit while
securing the theater's artistic future.
Happy anniversary, JET. Here's to count-
less more curtain calls!

❑

Reality Check

Please Forgive Me

L

et me say right off the bat that I'm
really sorry. There, that's out of
the way.
I'm not sure yet what I'm apologizing
for, but somewhere along the way I'm sure
I've offended someone. Or will in the very
near future. So I'll join the crowd and just
issue a blanket apology.
For instance, TV sports reporter Bonnie
Bernstein, appearing on ESPN Radio last
summer, expressed her surprise to learn
that a Palestinian youth aspired to play
professional basketball.
"I remember a while ago;' she said, "I
was reading an article in the New York
Times about Palestinian suicide bomb-
ers and I just remember being struck by
the notion that from the point of birth,
people in Palestine are taught to think
that dying in the name of God is a good
thing.
"They grow up wanting to be suicide
bombers. So bringing it back to sports
— and again, I'm not making the corn-
parison or the analogy — if a young, tal-

ented basketball player is being
told at an early age that they
are destined, it is a good thing
to focus on basketball and not
worry about what's going on in
the classroom."
Haven't we been told for
years that young Palestinians
are taught in school from an
early age to hate Israel and that
martyrdom is an admirable
goal? Maybe Bernstein's com-
parison was a bit rough, but not that far
a stretch.
Of course, all the Arab pressure groups
hit the ceiling and Bernstein had to apolo-
gize.
But when people find the truth offen-
sive, I've always regarded it as their prob-
lem, not the reporter's.
That was nothing compared to another
ESPN writer, Jemele Hill, who formerly
worked for the Detroit Free Press. She was
suspended for writing that rooting for the
Boston Celtics was like rooting for Hitler.

I wouldn't go that far. I'd
say rooting for the New York
Yankees was like rooting for
Hitler and save the Celtics
for the likes of Mussolini.
But if you are a sports fan
in Detroit, as Jemele is, can't
you imagine saying some-
thing like that in an e-mail
to friends? In fact, I probably
have.
My reaction was that a
suspension was more than a bit silly and if
Celtics fans were offended, hard cheese.
I take a lot more seriously Patrick
Buchanan's new book, Churchill, Hitler
and the Unnecessary War. It portrays
Churchill as the bad guy and Hitler as
a misunderstood little fellow who just
wanted to be friends with England.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sean
Hannity is highly enthusiastic about this
masterpiece.
Buchanan (and I deeply apologize to
any Nazis among my readership) is a

Jew-baiter from way back and Hannity is
simply an ignoramus who gets to be on
television.
I don't expect that they will be suspend-
ed or forced into apologies anytime soon,
although their ridiculous rewriting of his-
tory is far more offensive than anything
Hill might have said.
I did promise myself, however, that
I would not make any more smarmy
remarks about the Detroit Lions and just
not watch any more of their games. Then
I realized the next one comes between
the High Holidays, when it is appropriate
to visit the dead. So I guess I'll have to go
back on that vow.
So let's all say we're sorry and go stand
in the corner. And if I've just offended
anyone who is deeply committed to the
concept of circular architecture, I can only
say ... No, I better not.

❑

George Cantor's e-mail address is

gcantor614@ao1.com.

Di

October 2 • 2008

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