Jed Abrahams

Student

“The only problems with L.A. people are that they have no sense of humor, they’re all New Age, and they don’t realize that New York is the center of the universe.”

West Coast bashing aside, Jed Abrahams—die-hard New Yorker and burgeoning musical theater talent—has found a pocket of contentment and success at SMC. “Just this spring I got accepted into the Mentor Program in the Arts to study voice. It’s a program for people with talent that greatly benefit from one-on-one training with a teacher in their field,” says Jed who played Tevye in SMC’s version of Fiddler on the Roof last spring. “It was the best show I’ve ever been in—the role of a lifetime—and the whole experience was really at the level of a conservatory, in terms of what I learned.” But if singing in Fiddler was a lark for Jed, another role he’s played at SMC has been a real struggle at times.

“I’m a member of the Gay and Lesbian Student Union and the Rainbow Coalition,” says Jed. “Coming out was very tough for me to do. But it was wonderful to come on campus and be able to make friends and find support in a group of people you can feel comfortable with. I’m very pleased with the openness at SMC, but there’s always more to be done.” Fortunately for Jed, he’s also found the support he needs at home.

“My mother is right behind me. In fact, she’s become a facilitator in a support group for families of gays and lesbians. She’s even starting her own mothers group.” And what does his mom think of Jed’s blooming career in the musical theater? “She was there for every performances of Fiddler…with a broken arm!” laughs Jed. “To applaud, she had to bang a hairbrush on her seat.”

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