JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 41 J N Targan, who has run 17 mara- thons and is an award-winning playwright. “My comedic writing has been favorably compared with Neil Simon, which I consider a high compliment, ” Targan adds. “While I do not try to emulate Simon, I think my self-dep- recating sense of humor is an inherently Jewish trait that comes through in my writing. ” While Targan and Sussman are fellow actors and play- wrights, they have never per- formed onstage together. “Steve is kind, compassionate and a good Jewish father, which are qualities I was seeking when I cast him as Jack. Steve brings his own chutzpah and sense of Jewish tradition to the role. I even asked Steve to say the Motzi when the Jerome family sits down to dinner in the play, just to add to the authenticity of this Jewish fami- ly, ” Targan says. Pamela Martin, Targan’s stage wife in Farmington Players’ 2018 production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, reprises her role at St. D’s as matriarch Kate Jerome, Jack’s wife. And Martin is playing mother to her real-life son, James Miller, who plays Stanley, Eugene’s older brother. Targan was also in the Farmington Players’ pro- duction with Mei-Lin Wong, who, at that time, played young Laurie and now plays Laurie’s older sister, Nora. Kelley Rawls plays Aunt Blanche and Arielle Olkhovsky plays her daughter Laurie. “ Audiences should expect a hilarious but fairly realistic portrayal of Jewish family life, ” Targan adds. The more things change, the more they remain the same when it comes to family dynamics: the sibling rivalries, how the people we admire most can also drive us crazy and how those differ- ences disappear when we must band together against outside threats. ” PHOTOS BY MOLLY DORSET DETAILS: Brighton Beach Memoirs will be performed at St. Dunstan’s Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays, Jan 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. and on Sundays, Jan. 14 and 21, at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets online at www.stdunstanstheatre.com/tickets or at the ticket counter one hour before showtime. Tickets are $20-$22 with an additional $3 per ticket when purchased online. For more information, visit stdunstanstheatre.com or email tickets@stdunstanstheatre.com. St. Dunstan’s Theatre is located at 400 Lone Pine, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. Toby Gittleman plays Eugene Jerome, the central character, in St. Dunstan’s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Individualizing a lesson, a class, an entire curriculum isn’t always easy. But it’s what we do. Our visionary founders discovered the power of a student-centric, collaborative education. Creativity, independence, and free thinking guide an organic exuberance in our curriculum that is thoughtfully connected to academic and life goals. Each path is different - and that’s what we love. CAMPUS TOUR February 13 - 9:00 AM Begin your journey at Roeper.org @theroeperschool