Eight Nights follows the journey of Rebecca Blum, a Holocaust survivor who arrives in the United States in December of 1949. Set during the eight nights of Hanukkah, we travel with her as she builds a family and a diverse community of loved ones—always moving forward—daring only to touch the past for those she loves the most. Jennifer Maisel’s award-winning, lyrical play illuminates brutal cycles of oppression and erasure across time amongst Jewish, African American, Japanese American, and recent Middle Eastern refugee communities. Her powerful story simultaneously celebrates the resilience of the human spirit—continually striving for connection and seeking the very best of humanity even in the worst of times.
Eight Nights
September 27, 2023 - November 5, 2023
Get ready to join us for a night filled with everyone’s favorite holiday & musical theatre classics
Meet The Cast
Rivka Borek
Rebecca Blum
Eric Gutman
Erich Blum
Eric is thrilled to be returning to Detroit Public Theatre after the nearly sold-out runs of both his one-man show, “From Broadway to Obscurity” (2016 Wilde Award, Best One Person Show) and “Murder Ballad”. Eric has previously performed in “Hedwig…” on guitars and bass with Breathe Art Theatre Project and The Ringwald Theatre (also as MD). When not in Detroit, Eric tours with Under the Streetlamp, a retro rock and roll experience celebrating music from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond. Broadway/National Tours: Jersey Boys; Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. Thank you to Courtney, Sarah and Sarah Clare for continuing to collaborate with me in so many ways and for bringing relevant and important art to the city. My involvement in this show is dedicated to my wife, who would never allow me turn down an opportunity to play this amazing show. IG: @theguter or @underthestreetlamp
Michael Lopetrone
Aaron
Michael is thrilled to be making his DPT debut! A graduate of Western Michigan University with a BA in Theatre Performance, he’s performed on stages across Metro Detroit and abroad. Recent credits include: The Glass Menagerie (Flint Repertory Theatre), The House On Poe Street (Detroit Repertory Theatre), and Silent Sky (Williamston Theatre). This summer, he can be seen in Tipping Point Theatre’s production of Anatomy Of A Hug. While not on stage, Michael has been a teaching artist at Matrix Theatre, done educational theatre work with University of Michigan, MSU, Henry Ford Hospital, and also designs websites and consults on digital marketing through his business, Milo Media. www.michaellopetrone.com
Henrí Franklin
Benjamin
HENRÍ FRANKLIN is an award winning SAG-AFTRA actor based out of Detroit, MI. After obtaining his Bachelors Degree from Wayne State Universityʼs Theater Program, he went on to work professionally in the fields of stage, film, television, commercials and voice over. Some of his notable career accomplishments include Days of Our Lives and Chicago P.D. on NBC, Detroiters on Comedy Central, Low Winter Sun on AMC, Batman Vs Superman for Warner Bros., commercial and voice work for Ford, Chevrolet, G.U.M., T. Rowe Price and many others plus productions of Dominique Morisseauʼs Pipeline, Detroit’ 67 and Paradise Blue. You can see him as Ahmed in Richard Wesley’s Black Terror (produced by Tina Knowles – Lawson and directed by Richard Lawson) coming soon. Henrí is honored to have been able to work with Detroit Public Theatre for several years now and looks forward to continuing to do work that continues to change people’s lives for the better! You can follow his journey at www.henrifranklin.com and @henrifranklin on social media platforms.
Sarah Winkler
Anna Blum
Sarah Winkler is a Co-Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Detroit Public Theatre. She was a company member with Off Broadway’s Epic Theatre Ensemble for more than a decade before moving to Metro Detroit in 2013. Sarah has performed on stage and film in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and around the country, and is now so proud and honored to be a part of the Detroit theatre community.
Janai Lashon
Arlene
Kurt Kanazawa
Steven
Meet The Creative Team
Marya Mazor
Director
Sarah Pearline
Scenic Design
Matt Taylor
Lighting Design
Katie Hopgood
Sound Design
Christopher Vergara
Costume Design
Laurence Vance
Prod Design
Doran Konja
Stage Manager
Chris Corporandy
Dialect
Jen Pan
Intimacy Choreographer
Jalise Little
Sound Board Operator
Owen Zabor
Light Board Operator
Badriyyah Wazeerud-Din
Assistant Stage Manager
Katie Grace
Assistant Production Manager
