48 | APRIL 20 • 2023
ARTS&LIFE
THEATER
J
eff Thomakos built a varied perfor-
mance and teaching career involving
theater, and that included appear-
ances for the Jewish Ensemble Theatre
(JET). When he learned JET was closing,
Thomakos decided this would be a chance
to realize his dream of establishing a stage
company.
Putting his money together to rent the
Walled Lake building that held JET and
to buy the stagecraft structures used by
JET, Thomakos is in charge of the Inspired
Acting Company as he takes on the position
of producing artistic director.
The first play of the professional and
nonprofit company is the Noel Coward
comedy Private Lives, which runs April 21
through May 7.
“JET was definitely a victim of bad timing
in the sense they had just moved into a new
space, and COVID hit them at the worst
possible time,
” said Thomakos, 50, who
had lived in Michigan, moved away and
recently returned as his wife, Katja, accepted
a position as fundraiser for the Cranbrook
Institute of Science.
“Jewish Ensemble gave us a reasonable
price for their risers, seats, curtains and
things that would have cost triple if I had
bought them new. I’m very grateful to Chris
Bremer, JET executive director, and the
Jewish Ensemble Theatre for being support-
ive to my theater.
“My approach is to create plays that
inspire actors to do their best possible work
and inspire audiences toward making a
better world. I think it’s most important that
the work is high quality.
”
In choosing the first play for the company
that takes its name from feelings of profes-
sional and personal inspiration, Thomakos
felt that Private Lives would be fun and high
quality in an area of Oakland County that
could use live theater.
“We were looking for something that was
both challenging and fun, and we think
Private Lives is a world classic and one of
the funniest comedies ever written,
” said
Thomakos, who’s directing the show. It’s
challenging for our actors and something
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Details
Private Lives will be presented April
21-May 7 by The Inspired Acting
Company, 1124 E. West Maple,
Walled Lake. $35. (248) 863-9953.
inspiredacting.org.
Inspired Acting
Company reads
through the script.
New Theater
Company Debuts
Artistic director thanks Jewish Ensemble
Theatre for helping to get it started.
Jeff
Thomakos