Gary Weinstein is a Diamond in the Rough

Gary Weinstein is a wino, an agent, a dental  patient ... and a real gem.

The slogan for his store – Weinstein Jewelers – is: “If you don’t know your gems, know your gemologist.”  But most people don’t realize what a gem of a human being Gary Weinstein is.  Gary is unassuming and humble and doesn’t need the spotlight to shine on stage.   In Little Shop of Horrors, Gary plays three roles:  Wino, a deranged panhandler on Skid Row; a masochistic dental patient; and Skip Snip, whom Gary describes as “a flamboyant, self-aggrandizing, high-energy booking agent.”

Gary says, “I enjoy playing different characters in this show because it gives me a chance to explore different aspects of my personality. … The biggest challenge is in playing the patient.  I don’t have any lines.  My character has to be portrayed through physical actions, such as enjoying the pain inflicted by a sadistic dentist.”

Gary has appeared in several Barn productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Miracle on 34th Street, and most recently as Mr. Marks and the Judge in The Producers. (I first met Gary during The Producers and it was almost scary how “in character” he was backstage before each show.) Weinstein Jewelers has also sponsored several shows at the Barn.

When not working or on stage, Gary is an avid golfer.  He plays in local charity golf tournaments, has golfed in all 50 states, and in 22 countries in the past four years (with a goal of reaching 100 countries in 20 years).  Gary sometimes uses his golf outings to share his own story, which involves the tragic loss of his family to a drunk driver in 2005.   Gary’s story of loss and forgiveness is the subject of an upcoming documentary called Project: Forgive.   As human beings go, Gary really is a diamond in the rough, so you should definitely get to know him as your gemologist, onstage, or otherwise.

Little Shop of Horrors opened Friday April 27 and runs through May 19.  Get your tickets at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the Farmington Players box office at 248-553-2955.  Find us on Facebook under "Farmington Players".