Arts & Entertainment

A Director's Tale

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

Palminteri collaboration to take hold.
"I came across the
Palminteri's stage career is bolstered by 50 script for Sister Mary
movie roles in diverse films, including The Ignatius Explains It All
Usual Suspects and Analyze This.
for You, written by my
ong before building an award-
"Chazz has this piece in his kishkes, but
friend Chris Durang,
winning career as a stage, film
he still needed to get it back into perfor-
and asked if I could
and TV director, Jerry Zaks acted
mance shape Zaks says. "We tell the story direct it for a mara-
in theater productions touring to Detroit.
as far as the passage of time goes with
thon festival.
Zaks, director of A Bronx Tale coming
lighting and sound as well as his charac-
"It was very suc-
to the Fisher Theatre Nov. 25-Dec. 14,
terizations. I would make suggestions, and cessful and ran Off-
appeared in family plays presented at the
he would either try them and implement
Broadway for about
Detroit Institute of Arts and in the musical them or try them and discard them."
three years. All of a
Grease at the Fisher.
Although interested in performing while sudden, I had credibil-
A Bronx Tale, a one-person theater
a teen, Zaks didn't firm up his theater
ity as a director."
piece written and performed by Academy
interest until college.
Work came quickly
Award-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri,
"Things were very nice in my home, but for Zaks — three
depicts a young boy's rough childhood in
they also would get tense the Stuttgart,
more Durang plays, an
the 1960s and the unforgettable people he
Germany-born Zaks recalls. "My mother
Off-Broadway produc-
encounters.
had been in Auschwitz for a year, and my
tion and then some
Originally introduced to Broadway audi- dad had escaped the Nazis by changing his 30 plays on Broadway.
ences in 1989, it was revived there last
identity and being on the run.
There were tours, films
year. (A film version, directed by Robert
"I was brought up with the sense that
like Marvin's Room
DeNiro and co-starring Palminteri and
there are lots of sharks out there and
and sitcom episodes
DeNiro, came out in 1993.)
was scared of someone coming around
from various series,
"Audiences get taken on an unforget-
the corner wreaking havoc. I would lock
including Two and a
table ride as they get to know 25 people in
myself away in my parents' very nice base- Half Men.
the form of one actor," says Zaks, 62, the
ment, play rock 'n' roll songs and sing to
"I have to fall in love
son of Holocaust survivors.
myself. It gave me great comfort to be able with a script to work
"Chazz creates a strong illusion and a
to have that secret."
on it," says Zaks, who
strong sense of important relationships
Attending Dartmouth College and
also teaches university
while telling the kind of story that makes
planning to be a lawyer, Zaks began
classes in theater. "It
Chazz Palminteri wrote and stars in A Bronx Tale
people laugh and then moves them tre-
appearing in theater and decided to go
speaks to me. I know
at the Fisher Theatre.
mendously. That kind of joy and ecstatic
to Smith College for a master's degree in
what it's about and
experience is what I hope an audience will acting. After working onstage for 10 years, I know nobody else
take away from anything that I direct."
a fellow
could do a better job.
Hannah, a sophomore at the University of
Zaks, whose behind-the-scenes career
member of
"I love humor, and I love writ- Vermont, is studying psychology and edu-
reaches from dramas, such as The Caine
New York's
ers who can write good comedy
cation and has been a summer counselor
Mutiny Court-Martial, Six Degrees of
Ensemble
because, to me, the sound of
at a Jewish community center.
Separation, Lend Me a Tenor and The
Studio
laughter in the audience is the
Zaks, separated from his wife, finds
, .
House of Blue Leaves, to musicals, such as
Theatre
sound of people falling in love
some time to relax by watching sports and
Smokey Joe's Cafe, La Cage aux Folles and
suggested
with characters onstage. When
walking in the city, but he would rather be
Guys and Dolls, watches the time carefully
that he
the audience falls in love with
caught up with show business.
when preparing solo-performer produc-
direct him
characters, then they care about
"I love being in the middle of a work
tions.
in the play
them when the troubles begin."
project:' he says. "To me, that's pure
"The rehearsal days are shorter with a
The Soft
Zaks, just finished with the
bliss." O
one-person show because one person can
Touch.
film Who Do You Love? about the
only work so many hours before begin-
"That
Jewish founder of Chess Records,
ning to get glassy-eyed;' he explains. "It's
project of
and currently preparing three
A Bronx Tale runs Nov. 25-Dec.14
like training a boxer or an Olympic athlete directing
new musicals, recently shared a
at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
and conserving their energy.
my friend
special afternoon with his 91-
Performances are 8 p.m. Tuesdays-
"The actor has to be worked into per-
went very
year-old mother. The two saw the
Saturdays except for Thanksgiving;
formance shape over time. What [Chazz]
well, and
.0 director's 26-year-old daughter,
1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28; 2 p.m.
does, at the very least, is an extraordinary
I became
Emma, in the Broadway ensem-
Saturdays and Sundays and 7:30
physical feat. He's onstage for 90 minutes,
obsessed
Director Jerry Zaks: A Bronx Tale
ble of Gypsy.
p.m. Sundays except for Nov. 30.
talking the entire time while playing mul-
with
is "the kind of story that makes
"It was great, and even greater,
$28.50-$71. Information: (313) 872-
tiple characters."
directing;' people laugh and then moves them
I had nothing to do with it," says
1000; tickets: (248) 645-6666.
It took four weeks for the Zaks-
Zaks says.
tremendously."
Zaks, whose younger daughter,

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November 20 • 2008 C11

P hoto by Joan Ma

Four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks is a man in love with his craft.