34 | JANUARY 16 • 2019
I
n between professional stage
roles, Leslie Ann Handelman
became a certified fitness
instructor. Besides keeping her-
self strong, she helps others build
strong bodies in ways she first
learned at a gym near a St. Louis
theater.
Ironically, in her current role
as Elvira in Noel Coward’
s Blithe
Spirit, she abandons body to
portray the apparition of a writ-
er’
s late first wife. Her entrance
into the action comes as she
is conjured up in a séance and
supposedly is seen and heard
only by the writer (portrayed
by Timothy C. Goodwin), who
thought he was doing general
research for his next book.
The comedy, being presented
through Feb. 2 at the Meadow
Brook Theatre in Rochester, sets
up predicaments centered on the
author and his past and current
(Dani Cochrane) wives.
“I read this play for the first
time probably 20 years ago, and
I wanted to start doing it soon,
”
says Handelman, 38, who grew
up in West Bloomfield, lives in
Chicago and returns for her sev-
enth role at Meadow Brook.
“It’
s like being on the wish list
for a very long time, and I’
m so
excited to finally get to work on
it with friends — other actors,
designers, a director and stage
crew I’
ve worked with before. It’
s
great fun.
“In the construct of the play,
the other characters think
the author has lost his mind.
Although they don’
t see me, they
see flowers and vases moving.
When I step into this role, I feel
I get the license to be a little bit
ridiculous.
”
While attending West
Bloomfield High School,
Handelman first admitted to
herself that she wanted to be an
actress but was a little nervous
about telling anybody else.
She thought she would con-
nect with theater by being a
physical therapist on national
tours and help the actors stay
healthy, but she set aside that
idea when talking with her par-
ents, Nancy and
Bill Handelman,
who were very
supportive of her
acting interests.
Handelman
earned a bachelor’
s
degree at Syracuse
University and
master’
s degree
at the University
of Illinois. A play,
The Blank Page, written by Kitty
Dubin and produced by the
Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET),
became her official professional
Michigan debut.
She soon moved to Chicago
and spent the last 13 years based
there while working all over
the Midwest. She has appeared
in The Merchant of Venice for
the Cardinal Stage Company
in Indiana, The Rivals for Door
Shakespeare in Wisconsin
and A Christmas Carol for the
Nebraska Theatre Caravan in
addition to productions around
Illinois.
Handelman, whose family
has been active
with Adat Shalom
Synagogue, recalls
taking part in two
school productions
with Jewish themes
— Fiddler on the
Roof in high school
and Backsliding in
the Promised Land
in college. For the
second, she coached
a non-Jewish cast member in
saying Kaddish.
Two sisters followed in
Handelman’
s career direction.
Amy Handelman, living in
California, can be seen doing TV
commercials. Elyse Handelman,
in New York, worked in theater
lighting design before moving
into architectural interests.
Aside from stage appearanc-
es, Handelman has performed
in mock trials for a law firm.
Responsibilities require mem-
orizing a tremendous amount
of material to serve as a wit-
ness. Senior lawyers in the firm
become judges to evaluate new
lawyers.
“When I do musicals, I’
m par-
ticularly thankful I spent time
working on my fitness,
” says
Handelman, married to mar-
keting specialist Michael Bokor.
“Musicals are very grueling and
physically challenging. I come
in with stamina and the muscle
and energy to do them.
“Blithe Spirit is the first play
I’
ve done since becoming a
mother. I was working in the
play Sheer Madness at Meadow
Brook in the fall of 2017 when
I found out I was pregnant with
twins. This play was written
about 75 years ago, and it’
s so
funny how the jokes resonate
today.
”
Arts&Life
theatre
SUZANNE CHESSLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fit and Ready
Local actress returns to play a
writer’
s late fi
rst wife in Blithe Spirit.
SEAN CARTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Leslie Ann Handelman,
Timothy C. Goodwin and
Katie Akers in Blithe Spirit
at Meadow Brook Theatre
details
Blithe Spirit runs
through Feb. 2
at the Meadow
Brook Theatre in
Rochester. $36-$46.
(248) 377-3300
mbtheatre.com.