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Oy! Universal fun and laughter at JET

The old adage "If you can't laugh at yourself, then who CAN you laugh at?" certainly proved true at the opening night performance of "Oy!" at The Jewish Ensemble Theatre. Referred to as "a comic tribute to all things Jewish and all things human," Richard Orloff's sketch comedy generated rolls of laughter pretty much all night long as Jews and goyim alike recognized and acknowledged our common experiences – despite certain words and settings that are culture-specific.
After all, everyone can identify with poor Albert Einstein (Dr. Arthur J. Beer) who calls his mother (Rochelle Rosenthal) to tell her he's won the Nobel Prize – only to be grilled about his eating habits and relationship status.
And we've all felt like an outsider at SOME point in our lives, such as the recent affirmative action hire and sole Gentile (Aral Gribble) at a long-established Jewish firm.
Not all scenes are light-weight, however. In "Marriage," the human race takes God (Aaron Moore) to court and asks for a divorce. And in "Come Light the Menorah," two sisters (Laurel Hufano and Rosenthal) come to terms with some surprising news on Chanukah.
But the best sketch is "A Trolley Named Tsuris." A three-part spoof of the Tennessee Williams' classic, Hufano's Stella is helped through her crisis by a neighborhood yente (Rosenthal), who is more than a match for Moore's Stanley.
And you can't help but respect Beer, Gribble and Moore – three large men – for baring almost all in two steam room scenes. Oy!
It's a dream team of performers that director Mary Bremer assembled – and her production moves like clockwork.
Animated scene titles and definitions of Jewish terms used in the 12 skits are projected onto a sliding set by Pavlo Bosy, while Leah Karper's costume for Gribble in "Eve & Adam" is a show-stopper.

REVIEW:
'Oy!'
The Jewish Ensemble Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield. Wed., Thu., Sat. & Sun., through May 25. Tickets: $30-$39. For information: 248-788-2900 or http://www.jettheatre.org

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