AUGUST 19 • 2021 | 53
English and acting studies,
and he entered his path for
the future.
“I’m attracted to theater
by the collaborative process
and getting to engage with
a different person by devel-
oping a character,” he said.
“I’m always the most thrilled
when I’m creating together
with others. The art of theater
speaks to me in a way that no
other art form has.”
In working at JET, Keller
also feels a connection to his
Jewish roots explored only
recently. He learned about
some religious traditions
through Hillel programs at
Wayne.
Keller’s most recent pro-
fessional acting work has
been in High School Musical
at the Ringwald Theatre in
Ferndale and It’s a Wonderful
Life at the Riverbank Theatre
in Marine City.
Also a writer, he has had
two plays produced through
Wayne State programming:
Something Gay: A Brief Hookup,
which is about relationships
and online dating, and Front
of the House, which was a
Zoom presentation about
restaurant workers on the
last day the restaurant is in
business.
OUTDOOR THEATER
“The first time I actually
directed and wrote was for
the outdoors,” said Keller,
whose day job has to do
with freight forwarding,
making sure that goods are
handled according to cus-
toms regulations.
“I self-produced a
new translation of Spring
Awakening performed in a
courtyard at Wayne State. It
was part of my thesis, but it
was not attached to the uni-
versity. Doing outdoor theater
is a fun experience because
there are the elements that
also need attention.”
The musicians setting the
play to music appeared for
JET’s production of Cabaret
— Stacy White (keyboards),
Lee Cleaveland (guitar),
Kevin DeClaire (saxophone),
Jake Andrzejewski (bass) and
Sam Andrzejewski (drums).
“I’m excited to be outside
for our first professional
show since the pandemic and
glad it is in conjunction with
the Walled Lake Downtown
Development Authority,” said
Christopher Bremer, JET
executive director. “What
better way to end the sum-
mer than with community
involvement?”
JET SCHEDULE
If it rains on Friday, audience
members, asked to bring
their own chairs, will be
given tickets for Saturday.
If it rains on Saturday, the
tickets will be for Sunday. If
it rains on Sunday, audience
members can use their tick-
ets for another upcoming
production — The Rocky
Horror Show (Sept. 30-Oct.
24), Same Time, Next Year
(Nov. 4-28), The Full Monty
(Dec. 9-Jan. 2) and Amadeus
(March 18-April 10).
“It’s been incredibly dif-
ficult during the pandemic
even with Zoom readings,”
Bremer said. “Theater is
meant to be live in front of
people gathering and having
a shared emotional experi-
ence.
“Still, we are very proud of
one Zoom program we took
to youngsters in other states
who otherwise may not have
the opportunity to ask ques-
tions about the Holocaust. It
was an interactive experience
with an actress portraying
Anne Frank in hiding.”
As Bremer looks forward
to a return to live theater and
the music of Grease, he said,
“I’m hoping people get up
and dance.”
OLYMPIC ROUND-UP
The Tokyo Games featured
22 Jewish athletes from
the diaspora as well as the
90-member (Jewish) Israeli
team. The individual Israeli
medal winners are Artem
Dolgopyat, gold in artistic
gymnastics; Linoy Ashram,
gold, rhythmic gymnastics;
Avishag Semberg, bronze,
taekwondo. The Israeli
mixed judo team (men/
women) won a bronze team
medal. Its “one medal,” but
all 11 team members get a
medal to take home.
The Diaspora medal win-
ners are Australia, Jessica
Fox, gold in women’s kayak
slalom, (and) bronze in
women’s canoe slalom;
Ukraine: Elina Svitolina,
bronze, women’s tennis
singles; United States: Sue
Bird, gold, women’s basket-
ball; Alix Klineman, gold,
women’s beach volleyball;
and Nick Itkin, bronze,
team foil (fencing).
Do check out my articles
on the Olympics posted
on the Detroit Jewish
News website on Aug. 5.
(Meet the 2020 Olympic
Members of the Tribe). I
give credit to Jewish Sports
Review, a print publication
that shared its research
with me.
Linked to my “Meet”
article is an article about
the Review. It explains why
Jewish sports fans should
subscribe to the Review, a
“labor of love.”
Flag Day opens in the-
aters on Aug. 20. It stars
Sean Penn, 60, as John
Vogel, a big-time con art-
ist who has been busted.
Penn’s real-life daughter,
Dylan Penn, 30, has a
co-starring role as John’s
adult daughter, an artist
who struggles to come to
terms with her father’s crim-
inal past.
Sean’s other child,
Hopper Penn, 28, has a
much smaller supporting
role. This film got so/so
reviews when it played the
Cannes Film Festival.
The White Lotus, an
original, six-episode HBO
comedy/thriller series,
concluded last Sunday,
Aug. 15. It got quite good
reviews. It follows, over the
course of a week, a group
of rich folks vacationing at
a swanky Hawaii resort.
Earlier this year, I noted
that “newcomer” Fred
Hechinger, 23, would fol-
low his big roles in the
Tom Hanks’ film News
of the World and The
Underground Railroad (an
Amazon series), with a role
in The White Lotus.
But, due to an over-
sight, I didn’t “flag” him
and White Lotus before it
began streaming. He has
a major role in Lotus as
(guest) Quinn Mosbacher,
the socially awkward
17-year-old son of (guest)
Nicole Mossbacher, the
CFO of a Google-like com-
pany.
(Real-life) comedian Lenny
Bruce (1925-1966), who was
a fairly prominent charac-
ter in the first two seasons
of the fictional Amazon hit
series, The Marvelous Mrs.
Maisel, will return in the
upcoming season 4. Filming
has been completed, but
no release date is yet set.
The principal cast will all be
returning. Jackie Hoffman,
60, an actress and stand-up
comedian who often does
Jewish-themed material, will
appear in Season 4.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
Linoy Ashram wins gold.
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/TIMES OF ISRAEL