(FOR "REVIEW BOX")
PREVIEW:
'The Comedy of Errors Gold Rush Style'
Staged Thu.-Sun. by Water Works Theatre Company at Starr Jaycee Park, 1101 West 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, through Aug. 6. Tickets: $15-$20. For information: http://www.waterworkstheatre.com.
It's a family affair.
No, we're not talking about the classic television sitcom, but the philosophy behind Water Works Theatre Company, the troupe staging "The Comedy of Errors Gold Rush Style" through this weekend at Royal Oak's Starr Jaycee Park. For not only does the six-year-old company stage summertime shows that can be enjoyed by the entire family, it's also a labor of love that finds one generation working along side another both on stage and behind it.
"It's a second family," described Producer and Stage Manager Jodie Kuhn Ellison, who also serves on the theater's board of directors. "The whole company is like that."
And it's been that way ever since President and Executive Producer Ed Nahat founded Water Works, Ellison noted. "Ed started it with the help of his family, and anytime someone wanted to help but didn't have a babysitter, he'd say, "Bring them along. We'll find something for them to do.'"
Several longtime participants have done just that, including Ellison, whose three children and husband are all involved with the company. This year, Sarah, a senior at Syracuse University, is the assistant stage manager and an extra in the production. "I don't think I could do this without her. She follows directions really well, which I like," the proud mother laughed.
Also involved are Jake, 19, who is running the light board for the second straight year, and Isaac, 14, who appears as a citizen of Ephesus and helps backstage with props and costumes.
Working with her children over the summer is an incredible experience, Ellison said. Plus, it's a great way to keep them occupied. "They're too busy to get into trouble – I hope," she chuckled.
Ellison, with a degree in theater from the University of Pittsburgh, brings to Water Works nearly 25 years of professional experience. She moved to Michigan in 1989 when her then-husband, a banker, came to work for First of America. "I stuck with the place, even though I didn't stick with the guy," she noted.
After time off to raise her kids, Ellison got back into theater by testing the waters at Stagecrafters, a community theater group also in Royal Oak. And that's where she met her current husband, Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison. "He was active there when his kids were young," she said.
Ellison then made her way to Meadow Brook Theatre where she worked as an actress and stage manager before accepting a job in the theater's box office. (She'll return there next month in MBT's revival of "The Rocky Horror Show.") This past April she left to become the box office and front of house manager at the new Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit.
For now, however, it's Shakespeare's shortest comedy that has Ellison's attention. Its unique interpretation – set in California during the gold rush – should appeal to audiences of all ages and interests, she believes. "One of the things we really try to do is make it as accessible as possible by putting it in a setting that makes sense to contemporary audiences."
But it's the opportunity to see Shakespeare performed outdoors that Ellison finds most attractive. "It's in the park, it's summertime and you can sit on a blanket in the grass. It's an experience you don't soon forget. It's a charming way to spend a summer evening."
