arts & life

Thrill Ride!

Horror queen

Lin Shaye returns

in Insidious:

Chapter 3.

Lin Shaye

Editor's

Lynne

Konstantin

Arts & Life
Editor

38 June 4 • 2015

Rocco Tenaglia

Special to the Jewish News

f you were a fan of comedies
in the '90s, chances are you've
seen veteran actress Lin
Shaye. A featured player in many
of the Farrelly Brothers' comedies,
including There's Something About
Mary and Dumb & Dumber, she
also has become a horror-flick
mainstay.
While in town to promote her
upcoming film Insidious: Chapter
3, opening in theaters June 5,
Shaye looked back fondly on her
home state of Michigan. "Detroit
really is my beginnings" she says,
recalling specific buildings and
street names from her childhood.
Shaye was raised in Detroit; her
family belonged to Southfield's
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
"The culture of the Jewish religion
has been very prominent in my
household" she says. "Whatever
substance, whatever religion you
are, whatever it gives you, you
carry with you into everything
you do"
Shaye went to Mumford High
School in Detroit, before attending
the University of Michigan, where
she regularly appeared in plays.
Eventually, she moved to New
York to pursue her career, mak-

ill

ANNE FRANK
If you're heading to this year's
Stratford Festival (featuring the
Sound of Music, Hamlet and
the Alchemist, among others)
in Stratford, Ontario, be sure to
visit the Stratford Perth Museum,
where "Anne Frank: A History
for Today" will be on exhibit June
6 through Oct.12 (and coinciding
with Stratford's presentation of
the Diary of Anne Frank through
Oct.10). The traveling exhibit
from the Anne Frank House in
Amsterdam tells the story of
Frank and her family through pho-
tos, letters and excerpts from her
diary, engaging viewers in Anne's
experiences before and during the
war with the goal of understanding
how racism, apathy and indiffer-
ence can destroy lives and corn-

ing a name for
herself as an
accomplished
stage actress.
After some
years on the
stage, Shaye
was given her
A scene from the newest Insidious
first acting role
in the 1975
Writer Leigh Whannell (who
film Hester Street. From there
she appeared in mostly horror
also acts alongside Shaye in the
movies, including Wes Craven's A
franchise) and director James
Nightmare on Elm Street.
Wan — the team behind the
Perhaps she is best known for
original Saw — approached Shaye
the comedy films that she made
directly to play Elise in their 2010
film.
with the Farrelly Brothers. She
first worked with them in 1994's
"Insidious is totally an elegant
Dumb & Dumber, alongside Jim
story," Shaye says, adding that the
Carrey and fellow Michigander
duo "are great guys who have a
Jeff Daniels. Interestingly, the
great sense of fear. They have a
film was distributed by New Line
respect for fear and they under-
Cinema, a company founded by
stand what creates fear, which is a
Robert Shaye, Lin's brother.
really primal emotion to stimulate
She had roles in many more
in people"
Farrelly movies, from Woody
This is undoubtedly part of
Harrelson's horrifying landlady in
what made Insidious such a break-
Kingpin to Cameron Diaz's cringe- out horror hit (grossing more than
inducing neighbor in There's
$50 million from a modest budget
Something About Mary. However,
of $800,000) — and what has kept
despite the scary characters she
Shaye coming back for more.
has played in comedies, Shaye's
"The third one is the scariest"
horror roles tend to be more sweet Shaye says. "You're going to be
and comforting. This is especially
scared in a way you're not expect-
ing"
true of her character Elise in the
Insidious films.
Insidious: Chapter 3 is a prequel,

munities. (519) 393-5311;
stratfordperthmuseum.ca .

DIVINE MISS M
Returning to the stage for her
first major tour in a decade, Bette
Midler comes to the Palace of
Auburn Hills
Wednesday,
kr,
June 10, for
her "Divine
k
Intervention"
■
tour. Reuniting
with longtime
collaborator
Marc Shaiman
for her newest
album, It's the Girls! - a tribute to
girl groups - Midler will perform
songs from her iconic career as
well as from her newest offering.
Among them: a cover of TLC's

"Waterfalls," of which Vanity Fair
says "You haven't lived" until you
hear Midler sing. $45-$135. (800)
745-3000; palacenet.com .

LINES IN THE SAND

Written by playright Jon Robin
Baitz, Other Desert Cities tells the
story of a daughter who returns
home after a long absence and
announces her plan to publish
a memoir about a tragic family
event. June 11 through July 12, at
the Performance Network, Ann
Arbor. (734) 663-0681;
pntheatre.org .

HE-MEN
It's the last week to take in
"HE: The Hergott Shepard
Photography Collection." Curator
Mario Codognato draws from the

taking place before the events of
the first film. This time around,
writer and actor Leigh Whannell
is also directing — a switch that
Shaye embraced. "I told him he's
not just a triple threat" she says,
before jokingly adding, "When he
starts learning to tap-dance he'll
be the writer, director, producer,
tap dancer, and actor:'
Shaye also feels fans of Wan's
visual style will be equally satis-
fied with Whannell's directorial
debut. "I think their styles are
equally valid and equally power-
ful," she said.
"I hope everybody enjoys it"
Shaye said of Insidious: Chapter
3, "I'm proud of the work, I'm
thrilled that people love the char-
acter, and I hope it continues:'
And, appropriately for a horror
star, she adds, "I hope I con-
tinue acting until the day I drop
dead."

❑

collection of LA-based collectors
Alan Hergott and Curt Shepard,
as well as the holdings of LACMA,
the Hammer Museum at UCLA
and more to examine contempo-
rary art focused on Western men
and male identity. Artists include
Jeff Wall (his photograph Boxing
is shown), Nan Goldin, Robert
Mapplethorpe, Gilbert and George
and more. Through June 14 at the
University of Michigan Museum of
Art, Ann Arbor. (734) 764-0395;
umma.umich.edu .

❑