By Sue Suchyta
Two Dearborn actors will be featured in the Hilberry’s summer youth theatre production of Kathryn Shultz Miller’s, “Robin Hood.” Joseph Hamid will play Little John and Cal Schwartz will perform the role of Prince John.
The show, aimed at a youthful audience, will be performed at 10:30 a.m. June 22 through July 10. The June 26 and 30 performances are sold out. The house will be dark July 3 and 6 due to the holiday weekend.
“The audience can expect to be transported back to the Sherwood Forest in the 12th century and be dazzled by boisterous performances, swashbuckling battles and true love,” says director Jesse Merz.
The cast includes Laura Heikkinen of Livonia as Maid Marian, Justin Vanden Heuvel as Robin Hood, Rob Pantanto of as the sheriff of Nottingham, Katie Lietz Flannery of Livonia as Friar Tuck, Christopher L. Tucker as King Richard and Dave Cowan as a guard.
Group discounts are available. Ticket information is available by calling (313) 577-2972 or at the Wayne State University Box Office, 4743 Cass Ave. at Hancock in Detroit. Performance information and tickets also may be obtained on the theatre’s Web sites, www.theatre.wayne.edu and www.wsushows.com.
JET offers new play festival
The Jewish Ensemble Theatre will present four new plays in simple, staged readings to gauge audience feedback at 7:30 p.m. on remaining Mondays and Tuesdays in June. The Monday readings will be at the Aaron DeRoy Theatre in the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center, while the Tuesday readings will be in the Oak Park Jewish Community Center.
The annual festival presents quickly rehearsed plays that are read for audiences with minimal staging and no costumes, props or scenery. Afterward, audiences are encouraged to share their reaction to the show. The directors and sometimes a playwright will also be on hand to answer questions.
“Room 15,” written by Elyce Melman and directed by Jennifer Zubernick, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Tuesday.
When a new teacher, Penny Greenberg, steps into Room 15 of St. Matthew’s School for Boys, she is hopeful that through education, positive social changes can be achieved. When Sean Sullivan, one of Penny’s most talented students, has his success denied, he becomes mentally deranged and Penny suddenly is given her most challenging test yet.
“Reenactments,” written by Bill Gibson and directed by Joe Kvoriak, will be staged June 14 and 15.
When a global conglomerate purchases a smaller company, it acquires its employees as well. To continue a company tradition and to evaluate their new employees, the conglomerate hosts a companywide World War II reenactment. The employees are divided into two groups, Nazis and Jews, and a simple company game turns into much more.
“To Life,” written by David J. Bernstein and directed by Frannie Shepherd-Bates will be presented June 21 and 22.
Follow Gary and Max, father and son, respectively, in a warm and witty story as father offers advice to his son through major milestones: bris, bar mitzvah, marriage and death. Gary tries to offer his best advice to Max throughout his life, and even beyond, in a hilarious and heartfelt fashion.
“My Shanghai Baby,” written by Esta Fischer and directed by Harold Jurkiewicz, will be staged June 28 and 29.
In the late 1930s, country after country closed their doors to the Jews fleeing Nazi-overrun Europe. Shanghai, an international city that didn’t require entrance visas, was the only place in the world many could escape to. Beginning in modern America, a Jewish woman traces her roots back to a Shanghai ghetto, where her mother was an innocent victim of a bombing.
Tickets are $5 and available at the door for each performance. Monday staged readings are in the Aaron DeRoy Theatre in the Jewish Community Center at 6600 W. Maple Road at Drake in West Bloomfield Township. Tuesday staged readings are at the Oak Park Jewish Community Center, 15110 W. 10 Mile Road.
Both locations offer free parking and are accessible to the handicapped. For more information or to buy tickets call (248) 788-2900.