Arts & Entertainment The Play's The Thing Modern Orthodox D Suzanne Chessler Special to the Jewish News aniel Goldfarb, who grew up in a Reform household in Canada, has found himself increasingly bond- ing with the religious character developed in his play Modern Orthodox. The comedy, scheduled Jan. 19-Feb. 13 at Jewish Ensemble Theatre in West Bloomfield, presents touching encounters shared by Hannah and Ben, a nonobser- vant engaged couple, and Hershel, a highly observant diamond merchant, first selling a ring and later entering more deeply into the couple's lives. "The play gets warmer and warmer as it goes along because I discovered something of Hershel in myself:' says Goldfarb, who came up with the idea for the play after par- ticipating in a dramatic exercise at Juilliard. "Although Hershel says things that are sexist, old-fashioned and close-minded, he is completely true to himself and under- stands his place and purpose in the world. "I think there's something incredibly appealing about his understanding; and no matter what production I've seen, the audi- ence is rooting for Hershel:' In the JET production, directed by Aaron Moore, Aral Gribble plays Hershel. Also appearing are Christina Flynn (Hannah), Scott Crownover (Ben) and Kat Grilli (Rachel). "My body of work in general has explored Jewish identity" says Goldfarb, 37. "My plays have dealt with Jewish thought and debate." Goldfarb, a Toronto native who started writing short stories in elementary school, went to an arts high school and had one of his plays staged when he was 15 years old. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees at New York University, where he now teaches, and studying at Jnilliard, he wrote Adam Baum and the Jew Movie, his first produced play. Sarah, Sarah was inspired by a trip he took with his sister and father to N The War Since Eve Suzanne Chessler Special to the Jewish News 3 - c et ,.. .0 L I Aral Gribble (Hershel), Christina L. Flynn (Hannah) and Scott Crownover (Ben) in Modern Orthodox China, where she adopted a baby. Goldfarb branched out with the pro- duction Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, written with the comedian and Hairspray composer/lyricist duo Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman. "I think that all good plays are marriages of accessing the base deep inside the play- wright and harnessing imagination',' says Goldfarb, married and the father of two. "It's taking research and history, personalizing both and turning [the material] into some- thing that feels authentic and rear Goldfarb, currently working on a comedy about a Jewish couple training a baby and a musical based on the life of songwriter Bert Berns ("Twist and Shout"), thinks of Modern Orthodox as an expression of the relationship between observant and nonob- servant Jews, questioning different practices while feeling a strong connection. "Modern Orthodox is 100 percent fiction:' he says, "but something inside myself forms the kernel." 17 JET presents Modern Orthodox Jan. 19-Feb.13 at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 and 13. Other times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9. $32-$41 with dis- counts for seniors and students. (248) 788-2900; www.jettheatre.org . JET, in the spirit of emerging social connection networks for young Jewish adults, is offering its preview price ($32) for certain performances to those accessing www.facebook.com/jettheatre and pressing the "Like" button. ocal actress Henrietta Hermelin, whose long career has brought her to many Michigan stages, is taking on the lengthiest role of her career. As lead character Roxie Firestone in The War Since Eve, she stays in the spotlight for almost the entire pro- duction, portraying a shining star in feminist circles and a dimming light in her own family circle. About to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom, she is confronted by critical problems with two grown daughters. The comedy, running Jan. 13-Feb. 13 at the Performance Network Theatre in Ann Arbor, is a world premiere for Michigan playwright Kim Carney. Director David Wolber also is working with Sarab Kamoo and Leah Smith as the daughters. "What seems obvious and clear-cut as the play begins becomes complicated as the plot unfolds," says Hermelin, in her fourth role with Performance Network. "Roxie is a 70-year-old woman with two daughters in their 40s, and that brings up so much history in my own life. I know I've gotten in the habit of treating my daughters in certain ways, and this play has made me think about all that." The issues surrounding this mother- daughters relationship have to do with Milty, who lives and works with her mother, and Tara, who has been estranged for 20 years. When Tara returns and Milty threatens to jump ship, Roxie must decide whether to focus her atten- tion on sisterhood or motherhood. "My character initiated a walkout for equal pay in Detroit and got lots of attention for that',' Hermelin explains. "As Roxie is confronted with the problems her daughters are having, she questions whether the troubles stem from the way she mixed family and work." Henrietta Hermelin in The War Since Eve With feminism at the core of the play, Carney describes the context of the devel- opment of her theme. "As a lifelong feminist, I guess what I'm proudest about is that I feel like I'm making a contribution toward the cause by not only the subject matter of the play but the fact that it has a challenging, complex main character who's in her 70s," says the playwright, whose credits include Moonglow and The Home Team. "At a time when they're at the top of their game, actresses in their 70s usually are relegated to small, grandma-type roles, and that's not fair." Hermelin, who has had many roles with the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, is playing a Jewish character thinking about turning to Christianity. "It seems that Roxie is thinking about Christianity because of its outlook toward forgiveness',' Hermelin says. "She has been very manipulative, and it becomes apparent that she is wondering whether she ultimately will be forgiven." The War Since Eve runs Jan.13-Feb.13 at the Performance Network Theatre, 120 E. Huron, in Ann Arbor. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and 3 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 29 and Feb.12. $22-$41 with discounts for seniors, members, students and groups. (734) 663-0681; www.performancenetwork.org . January 13 2011 35