‘Bad Jews’ – Culture and Religion Clash with Current Day Society

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

(L to R:) Laura Lapidus (Daphna), Amos VanderPoel (Jonah), Maddie Jo Landers (Melody) and Alec Silberblatt (Liam) in Joshua Harmon’s “Bad Jews,” (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

Review of the play Bad Jews at George Street Playhouse

Running through April 9 at the George Street Playhouse is a play that is a comedy but it covers some serious issues. Written by Joshua Harmon, Bad Jews won a number of awards when it first opened in New York. After seeing it, it comes as no surprise that it earned the New York Times Critics Pick as “THE BEST COMEDY OF THE SEASON” in October 2013 and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play as well as a John Gassner Award nomination for playwright Harmon. Bad Jews provides a forum for examination of issues important to the Jewish community such as identity and how it is changing, marriage, and after effects from the Holocaust.

Bad Jews is directed by Jessica Stone with this marking her directorial debut.  The cast includes Maddie Jo Landers (Melody), Laura Lapidus (Daphna), Alec Silberblatt (Liam) and Amos VanderPoel (Jonah). The action takes place on the night after the funeral of the family patriarch called Poppy. Poppy, had strong relationships with his grandchild and it appears he has instilled in them a healthy respect for the traditions of the Jewish faith. He wore a Chai necklace around his neck which was the only material thing which he brought with him from his life before and as a prisoner in a Holocaust camp. Now the question of who will get that necklace becomes the source of conflict between the three cousins.

Initially, Daphna talks to Jonah and believes he is supporting her. She desperately wants the Chai necklace particularly since she says she is engaged to an Israeli soldier. No one in the family has met this person so there is some skepticism about this supposed engagement. When Liam enters, he introduces the woman traveling with him as the lady he has fallen in love with. This lady, Melody, is not Jewish, so that begins to ruffle Daphna’s feathers.

Even before this meeting, Daphna names Jonah a “‘bad Jew” because of his lack of involvement in rituals and lack of striving to be a part of the culture. Lively discussion follows with Liam actually proposing to Melody that evening in front of the others. His claim for the Chai necklace appears cemented with that proposal. However, the action that takes place delves into some of the questions that this play explores. The concepts of marrying out of the faith and losing the identity that Jews have had for thousands of years comes clearly into focus. The lobby of George Street Playhouse has some information about these topics such as “Among those who got married in the 1980s, four-in-ten have a non-Jewish spouse. And among Jews who got married before 1970, just 17% have a non-Jewish spouse.” Also posted is information about identity, “The study also found that children of intermarriages are less likely to be raised as Jewish than those with Jewish parents” and “but the nature of Jewish identity in today’s world in changing.”

The set design is by Charlie Corcoran with costumes by Sarah Laux. The creative team also includes lighting designer and production manager Christopher J. Bailey and sound designer Drew Levy.  The production stage manager is Libby Unsworth.. Casting is by McCorkle Casting, Ltd.

About the Show:

Running Time: 90 minutes no intermission

Location: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ

Performances: This play will run through April 9, 2017

Contact for Info and Tickets: George Street Playhouse Box Office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org for tickets and information.

*theatervisit

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“Come From Away” Looks at 9/11 Compassionately and Hopefully

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

Photo by KM Nowosad of Let’s Go to the Theater

Come From Away is a Hit this Spring 2017 Broadway Season

Although 9/11/2001 was 16 years ago, memories are still fresh in the minds of many people. You don’t see much theater dealing with this topic. So when I read that this show, Come From Away, was trying to make its way to Broadway, I was a little skeptical. Could a musical portray what happened that day in a compassionate way without being too dark?  It took a long time for the country to recover. So what approach would a show use? Would it offer hope for the future?

The good news is that it does all of the above and more. Come From Away officially opened at Broadway’s Schubert Theater to some very fine reviews on March 12. I grabbed an available ticket during the previews because I did not want to miss a chance to see it. It was a very enjoyable show because it handles a difficult topic in a unique manner.

Irene Kankoff and David Hein wrote the book, music, and lyrics.

The story centers on the 38 airplanes redirected from their intended international destinations to Gander, Newfoundland.  The location is a small rural village. However, the residents provided almost 7,000 stranded passengers and some pets with shelter, food, phones and moral support for about five days. Story lines about some of the passengers featured throughout the show include one mother whose son is a fire fighter in NYC.  Another is a woman pilot who worked her way up the ranks.

The music is combination of rock, celtic, and a bit of folk.  All songs are performed as group numbers. A few feature an individual cast member who tells their story. The ensemble approach works well in this show and it keeps the one hour, 40 minute production moving along without a slow moment. There is no intermission.

Obviously, one can see the compassion involved with the storyline, but where is the hope? It’s right there in the fact that people of all races, creeds, and colors can co-exist and help one another as actually happened during those five days. This show is a tribute to the fact that people are all just people down deep. Showing that care and respect for each person truly makes this show a joy to see.

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“White Guy on the Bus” is a Riveting Piece of Theater

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

Robert Cuccioli in ‘WHITE GUY ON THE BUS.’ Photo by Matt Urban/Mobius New Media Inc.

A Review of “White Guy on the Bus”

WHITE GUY ON THE BUS  is a play that examines several aspects of how races regard each other in America. Written by playwright Bruce Graham, this production is directed by Bud Martin and produced by Delaware Theatre Company. The show will run at 59E59 Theaters until Sunday, April 16.

The play opens with Ralph, a wealthy white business man, standing alone onstage. He is introduced as a numbers man as stock symbols and daily market activity swirls on a strongly lighted stage covering the character and everything around him. The fact that he is a numbers person is mentioned several times throughout the play as if to solidify the idea that he is a stable, sensible man. This is a man who would carefully assess any situation to come up with the right moves. His character does that continuously through the play but with different stakes each time. What he ends up doing with power and money might be looked upon as so wrong; yet he calmly justifies it.

L-R: Susan McKey and Robert Cuccioli -Photo by Matt Urban/Mobius New Media Inc.

As the lighting changes, a setting in an outdoor home garden on the left side of the stage becomes the site of action where Ralph and his wife, Roz, meet to discuss their day. She is a longtime, very dedicated school teacher in a poor, ghetto school in a black section of Philadelphia where she is the only white teacher. Ralph wants to retire, sell their lovely home in the safe suburbs and maybe become an artist. Roz is not ready for that kind of life. She has plans to never stop doing the work she does because she loves what she does. Ralph is supportive of her and wants to come to an event where she might become Teacher of the Year. But she does not allow it and sets out on her own as he goes back to his lucrative business.

L-R: Susan McKey, Jessica Bedford, Robert Cuccioli and Jonathan Silver – Photo by Matt Urban/Mobius New Media Inc.

Next entering the garden is Christopher and his soon to become wife, Molly. Christopher has taken after Roz with wanting to teach but he is aiming at the college level. He is in process with his dissertation which is intent on examining how blacks are being recruited for commercials through advertising agencies. He is enthusiastic about his work and feels he is on the right track to expose injustices. The four have a lively discussion where Roz talks about her work with her students. She is a crusader in the fight for quality education for her students and Molly’s questions and remarks to her are fascinating to listen to. What we start to see emerging here is a lack of understanding of what different classes in society deal with. Although Roz tries to explain her points, she comes across somewhat as a do-gooder and Molly comes through as an outsider causing tension between the two.

L-R: Robert Cuccioli and Danielle Leneé – Photo by Matt Urban/Mobius New Media Inc.

Finally, the right side of the stage gets used as Ralph enters a bus and takes a seat next to a black woman, Shatique, who is dressed in hospital scrubs with books opened on her lap. They begin a conversation that moves along through several different scenes. Even before Shatique asks Ralph  why is taking public transportation, an astute playgoer will be wondering the same thing. And that becomes the key to why the white guy is on the bus and the unfolding of the entire story.

To tell that part of the plot would not be right for anyone going to see this play because it is intense when it unfolds. Suffice it to say that the character Ralph takes matters into his own hands and tries to get justice for something terrible that has happened. Shatique becomes one of the victims in the workout of his plan. Playwright Graham has constructed a story that not only brings out racial divides but also how money can be such a powerful force, that it crosses color lines. This is not a play about using money for uniting the races, it is a character study of how each regards the other but in the end, money for these characters wins out.

L-R: Robert Cuccioli and Danielle Leneé -Photo by Matt Urban/Mobius New Media Inc.

Robert Cuccioli stars as Ralph. Mr. Cuccioli sets this play on fire with his powerful acting. He easily moves between the good and bad aspects of the character’s personality showing the audience how it is all possible. Danielle Leneé plays Shatique, who is a mother of a son she only gets to see once a week. She has dreams of eventually buying a house in a new neighborhood. Ms. Leneé does a remarkable job of showing both sides of this character who struggles with what is eventually offered to her. The scenes with these two characters are the most intense in the show.

Some strong dialog that brings out problems between the races is between Roz, played by Susan McKey and Molly, played by Jessica Bedford. McKey does a fine job creating a character who is strong and believable but at times a bit hard to take as she tangles with  Molly. Bedford tackles a difficult role very well as Molly who starts out striving to be hip with the thinking of today, but eventually falls back to what she knows is comfortable when she is expecting a child. The evolution of Christopher is well delivered by Jonathan Silver. We see him deal with his own discrimination situation and then easily move out of the field of education into his Ralph’s world of finance and big money.

Dealing with racial and class issues that are presented in WHITE GUY ON THE BUS is not easy to do. If you are looking for a light evening of theater, this might not be the right pick. However, the value it brings to the stage, especially at this time in history, makes it well worth going to see. Plan on going out for a cocktail or dessert afterwards because you will have a great deal to discuss.

About the Show:

Running Time: 1 hr. 50 minutes with a 15-minute intermission

Location: 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues), New York City

Performances: Tuesday – Thursday at 7 PM; Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM; and Sunday at 3 PM through Sunday, April 16.

Contact for Info and Tickets: Call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

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