Come le & Experience Great Service In A Relaxilig Brdirommt Jessica lama Welcomes You! see the prisoners as suffering human beings grappling with God and the Holocaust rather than as cardboard mouthpieces for a range of positions. Part of that urgency derives from a selection process made a few hours before — but not yet carried out — to clear room in the barracks for a group of new arrivals. While death always lurks in Auschwitz, it has crept into the bunks of several of the inmates. God on Trial is that rare work that speaks to everyone, from rabbis with a thousand sermons under their key- boards to 8-year-olds forming their first questions, from Orthodox Jews to atheistic "cultural" Jews. It is satisfying- ly cerebral, but unfailingly accessible. The film also has an emotional undercurrent, but it does not aspire to bathos. Courtrooms are about evi- dence and the law, not sentiment. As for the film itself, the verdict could not be clearer: God on Trial is great, great television. El Ronelle Grier W hile both the 1972 and 2007 film versions of the 1970 Anthony Shaffer play Sleuth had a sinister tone, the current Jewish Ensemble Theatre production, running through Nov. 23, begins with more slapstick than creepiness. Sleuth is more than a simple who- dunit. At times, it's hard to tell exactly what is being done to whom as the two lead characters embark on a series of games and one-upmanship that keep the audience guessing right up until the surprise ending. This satisfying produc- tion opens when Milo Tindle, played by Kevin Young, arrives at the lavishly appointed English manor house of Andrew Wyke, played by Mark Rademacher. Wyke, a success- ful middle-aged mystery writer, has invited the much younger Tindle over for a sociable evening of drinks and conversation. The friendly pretense is shattered when Wyke hands Tindle a cut-crystal glass of Scotch on ice and says, "So, I understand you want to marry my wife' Let the games begin. Rather than play the part of betrayed, Wyke addresses the issue of money. He points out that Tindle, who owns a modest travel agency in South London, will never be able to satisfy the material needs of Marguerite, who has become accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that Wyke's suc- cessful writing career has afforded. He offers Tindle a solution in the form of a carefully conceived plot wherein the Walk-ins always welcome! All wens haircuts '10. 00 for first time clients with Ad! r INK MN Mt s sIM — MEE I Hair Cut 6 ;low Pry I God on Trial airs 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, on Detroit Public Television-Channel 56. with any Color Service over $40 (Includes High or Low Lights) I New Clients Only • Jessica Only 1.• in. younger man steals a cache of valuable jewels from Wyke's safe to pawn for a large amount of cash, enough to start a new life with the older man's wife, while Wyke will collect the insurance. Young portrays the aspiring lover Tindle very believably, alternating between brash arrogance and self- doubting insecurity as the plot twists and turns. Rademacher is effective as the cuckolded Wyke although he plays the character with a heavier hand than either Sir Lawrence Olivier or Michael Caine, his predecessors in the two movie versions. The script includes frequent move- ment from one end of the set to the other, as well as several cos- tume changes; and Director Shauna Kanter makes good use of these techniques to keep the play moving at a lively pace. Set designer Pavlo Bosy deserves star credit for creating an environment befitting Wyke's eccentric yet urbane personality. The writer's fondness for games and playacting is evidenced by his offbeat decor and array of quirky possessions. The living room and study are filled with several grandfa- ther and cuckoo clocks, many of which are crooked; a trunk filled with vari- ous costumes; an in-progress board game set up on a table at the front of the stage; and a life-size puppet of an old sea captain, which laughs menac- ingly whenever its master presses the appropriate button. L REV IEW Sleuth runs at JET in West Bloomfield through Nov. 23. (248) 788-2900 or www.jettheatre.org . Mt a IMIt VI OFF 11 V/ OFF I I Hair Cut 6 ;low Pry I I Regular price $35 I I I 1 All Facial Waxing 1 New Clients Only • Jessica Only New Clients Only • Jessica Only , , Expires 11/30/08 • Offer good at Salon 1 Expires 11/30/08 • Offer good at Salon 1 I Expires 11/30/08 • Offer good at Salon ' ' Matisse with coupon • Cannot be combined 1 ' I Matisse with coupon • Cannot be combined 1 I Matisse with coupon • Cannot be combined I I I witdi other offers. with other offers. with other offers. a. di 11. ir ...... ai I. 1 ..... 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