FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 55
J
ust three weeks before
opening night of the
Farmington Players’
upcoming production, Tokens
of Affection, plans changed in
the biggest of ways. One of
the leads of the play, Dorne
Lefere, dropped out due to a
family emergency.
Director Dave Reinke had
to make a decision. Reinke
made only one phone call
for someone to take on the
role and learn the entire pro-
duction in just a few weeks:
Gary Weinstein, owner of
Weinstein Jewelers of Novi.
Weinstein has a back-
ground in theater acting
going back to high school
and has worked on vari-
ous productions with the
Farmington Players since
2004. Weinstein’s store will
also sponsor the show.
Weinstein originally tried
out for the role in early
November but didn’t get the
part. Two months went by,
and he received the replace-
ment call from the director
on Jan. 18, just 25 days before
opening night.
“(Reinke) expressed to me
that I was the only phone call
he made to take the role,”
Weinstein said. “I took a
couple hours to think about
it, what it was going to entail
and what I needed to do to
be ready within three weeks,
and I told the director I was
in. I really jumped at the
chance.”
There are 230 lines
Weinstein must memorize,
though he says the memo-
rization actually hasn’t been
too hard after practicing each
day since he got the call.
“Repetition, repetition,
repetition” is key, Weinstein
said.
Tokens of Affection, written
by Topher Payne, runs from
Feb. 11-26 at the Farmington
Players Barn in Farmington
Hills. The romantic comedy
follows Frank Garrett, who’s
stunned by his wife Jackie’s
decision to leave him after 37
years of marriage, and sib-
lings Charlie and Claire who
team up to try and save their
parents’ relationship.
“He’s a father of the family
and he’s been providing well
for them for years, but the
wife is feeling like she’s not
being acknowledged, seen
or fulfilled,” Weinstein said.
“So, she wants a divorce. The
metaphor ‘he doesn’t bring
me flowers,’ that’s the back-
ground.”
Since 1953, the Farmington
Players have staged more
than 200 different musicals,
dramas, mysteries and com-
edies, all as a community
theater with 100% volunteer
membership. Weinstein’s
store has sponsored many
Farmington Players produc-
tions in recent years.
Weinstein’s store is also
running a special promotion
involving 50-50 ticket sales.
There will be three winners
every night, with one person
taking home the monetary
prize and all three receiv-
ing gift cards to Weinstein
Jewelers. They’ll have a
chance to win jewelry dis-
played in the theater’s lobby
showcase, or a free service
from Weinstein, including a
battery or a cleaning
and inspection. The
50-50 winners will
also be entered into
a final drawing at the
Weinstein store for a
chance to win a brooch
valued at $1,800.
In just a few weeks
of practice, Weinstein
can already feel the
connection to the
character, as it spills
over to his real life.
“I’m often used by the
character I perform,” he said.
“In other words, you take on
some of the persona of the
character. Every day right
now I find myself thinking
how I can express my love to
my wife, how I can help out
a little more, and how I can
bring her flowers, like the
metaphor the show is really
pointing at.”
ARTS&LIFE
THEATER
Local jewelry store owner takes on
lead role with three-weeks’ notice.
Last-Minute Lead
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
DETAILS
Tokens of Affection
runs Feb. 11-26 at the
Farmington Players Barn
in Farmington Hills. Tickets
($22 for adults, $20 for
seniors) are available now
at farmingtonplayers.org
or at the box office: (248)
553-2955. You can also
send an email to boxoffice@
farmingtonplayers.org.
Gary Weinstein
and co-star
Cynthia Tupper
during a
run-through.
DAVE REINKE
Gary
Weinstein