20 | APRIL 28 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

T

here are two sides 
expressed through Gary 
Gulman’s outlook, and 
he is about to show both on 
Michigan stages. His inclina-
tions converge in ways that 
allow certain segments to be 
emphasized according to the 
audience.
His comedic side will dom-
inate the focus of his appear-
ance Wednesday evening, May 
11, at the Michigan Theater in 
Ann Arbor as he performs the 
act solely written by him — 
“Gary Gulman: Born on 3rd 
Base.” 
His more serious side takes 
charge Thursday evening, 
May 12, as he discusses his 
continuing battle with depres-

sion in a presentation for 
the Jewish Family Service’s 
Spotlight Event at Temple 
Israel’s Outdoor Pavilion in 
West Bloomfield. Dollars 
raised provide services for vul-
nerable community members.
“In Ann Arbor, I’ll be doing 
a show about the disadvantag-
es and advantages I’ve had in 
America because of my rather 
impoverished upbringing but 
also my God-given talents and 
circumstances,” said Gulman, 
who has been featured on 
TV’s comedy specials and talk 
shows as well as in a recurring 
role on the streaming Hulu 
series Life & Beth starring Amy 
Schumer.
“For Jewish Family Service, 

I will do more humor specific 
to the American Jewish expe-
rience as well as discuss some 
of the mental health issues 
I’ve had in my life. I’ll also 
talk about how Jewish Family 
Service enabled me to go to 
Hebrew school and [experi-
ence] one summer at a camp.” 
When Gulman was 18 years 
old, he was diagnosed with a 
major depressive disorder, but 
he believes it was probably 
something left undiagnosed 
during his childhood in 
Massachusetts. He remembers 
episodes of severe depression, 
hopelessness and despair from 
those earlier years. 
From 2015-2017, he had 
occurrences that placed him 

in the hospital on a number of 
occasions, and he talked about 
his recovery during an HBO 
special called The Great Depresh, 
which premiered in 2019 as 
produced by Judd Apatow 
and is available in a recorded 
format.
“I receive emails and mes-
sages and letters from people 
who were moved or found The 
Great Depresh resonated with 
them,” Gulman said. “I’m 
very proud of that, and I’ve 
responded to almost every 
single one. 
“I’m still a little bit behind 
because they come in every 
single day. In some cases, 
I’ve met people at shows who 
found The Great Depresh helpful, 

Gary Gulman

Comedian 
Gary Gulman 
to headline 
JFS Spotlight 
Event May 12.

Comedy 
Takes a 
Serious 
Side

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER