PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Ushers don’t often greet guests out on the street. Then again, they aren’t usually welcoming people into their homes.

Dr. Michael Tolwin and his wife Marilee are the hosts of Jewish Women’s Theatre’s first At-Homes Salon performance of the season. 

In a way, this is a housewarming. They only recently moved in and already they are opening their doors to about 65 guests.  

MORE THEATER STORIES:

“It’s nice to be able to share our house with others," Tolwin said. "That’s a real blessing.” 

The Tolwin’s have never hosted an At-Homes Salon but they’ve attended a few. Theater is a communal experience, but Tolwin feels the intimate home settings take that one stop further.

“In our society everybody is disconnected for the most part and I like the idea of community," he explained. "By listening and sharing stories we grow as a people and as a community.”  

The productions include carefully curated material – scenes, monologues, even songs - centered around a specific theme. "Mapping of the Mind," for instance, contains stories relating to mental illness, a subject Tolwin, a psychiatrist, is very familiar with. 

“I believe everyone has psychological issues and it’s just a matter of degree," he said. "When you share your stories with others, you can see the humanity that each one of us has.”

Laura Ornest hopes audiences will see the humanity in her brother Maury, who suffered from paranoia and delusions for more than three decades. During the performance actor Josh T. Ryan reads some of Maury’s journal entries.

“Watching an actor speak Maury’s words, his inner most thought, and his determination to keep on painting no matter what is eerie and wonderful," she said.

Ornest thinks people talk about mental illness more openly now than 35 years ago, but worries there’s still a stigma. 

“My hope through this show is that families and people with mental illness don’t feel alone and feel a sense of community," she said.

Michael agrees. He thinks his guests will all find something to relate to in the material and thinks the setting will make the audience even more receptive.

“It’s warm, it’s comforting and you feel relaxed," he explained. "You’re defenses are down and you can accept things and so it makes more of an impression on us.”

Opening the door to empathy and greater understanding.

To see a full schedule of upcoming performances, click here.