THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, January 18, 1985

25

A mix-and-match cast
at the Detroit Repertory
Theatre gives an
interesting performance
with a 'Jewish' play.

`Goodnight,
Grandpa'

BY VICTORIA DIAZ
Special to The Jewish News

Andrew Dunn, right, as Grandpa, emphasizes a point to Morris,.
portrayed by Mack Palmer, in the DRT production "Goodnight,
Grandpa."

The Midwest premiere of Walter
Landau's appealing contemporary
play, Goodnight, Grandpa, isn't flaw-
less. But, as presented currently by the
Detroit Repertory Theatre, it does
rhake for an evening of highly pleas-
urable, fast-moving entertainment.
Directed by Dee Andrus, the bit-
tersweet drama focuses on cantanker-
ous Isaac Kirshstein, approaching his
100th birthday, and his long-time
friend, 92-year-old Morris Flugel.
Having reached "extra-strength old
age," the two spend their days playing
a lot of chess, drinking a lot of
wine, having a lot of
arguments, sharing some
memories, and even having a
few laughs together. Isaac also
spends a lot of his time trying
to find out if his wife, Fanny
(now dead 10 years), and Mor-
ris were once — as he suspects
— lovers.
Essentially, Isaac's heart
— by his own admission — has
"turned to ice," and, after 100
years of a life in which he has
lost his wife and each of his
five children, he has ceased to
allow himself to feel love for
others. Gruff and unaffection-
ate, he struggles at the end of
his life to allow himself not
just to feel again but, ulti-
mately, to communicate those
feelings before it is too late.
. Andrew Dunn manages to
turn in an admirable perfor-
mance as the centenarian,
Isaac, despite -his much-too-
sturdy-and-robust appearance
and his big, booming voice (no
100-year-old voices sound like
that, do they?). He dodders
about on the stage now and
then, but other than that,
physically appears at least 30
years younger than he should.
Another problem has to do
with his Yiddish accent, which
is never quite right, and which
often sounds more like an Irish
brogue than anything - else.
Even with all this, however,
Dunn's Isaac is effectively poignant
and believable, and while he may seem
more 70ish than 100ish, or more Irish
than Jewish, he is still a character

with whom an audience can identify
and care about a great deal.
Although Mack Palmer, in the
role of Morris, doesn't look 92, he is at
least less vigorous in his appearance
than Dunn and, therefore, more physi-
cally convincing. But he also has trou-
ble with the Yiddish accent, and is so
wide of the mark most of the evening
that one begins to wish he hadn't even
bothered with it at all. It certainly
adds nothing to the character and usu-
ally serves only as a kind of madden-
ing distraction. In spite of it, though,
he too manages to salvage the role.
His Morris is sometimes sad,
sometimes funny, sometimes befud-
dled, but always endearing, and his
"drunk scene," in which he claims he
really did once make love to Isaac's
wife, is one of the more memorable
moments of the play.
Alma Parks, a black actress who
has appeared on Broadway and toured
with the Negro Drama Group of Har-
lem, is nothing short of excellent as
Isaac's wife, Fanny. Polishing floors,
pouring wine for her guest, Morris,
admonishing him gently to eat, she is
the quintessential. Jewish mother;
down to the very last mannerism and
gesture. Parks is not only a joy to
watch, but also a delight to listen to.
Here, the accent is truly on the mark.
Veteran actress Mattie Wolf, in a
minor role as aunt Bertha, does an
outstanding job, as usual. And
William Boswell is absolutely delight-
ful as Uncle Sol, everybody's first-
class, five-star, A-number-one jerk.
Unfortunately, black actor Robert
Williams-Vogue as Isaac's grandson,
Sam, seems simply miscast. Yes, I
know the DRT has a policy of casting
without regard to raCe or gender dis-
tinctions. Although he's an able, in-
teresting performer, Williams-Vogue
ultimately is never believable in this
role.
Finally,„ imaginative and subtle
lighting design by Kenneth R. Hewitt,
Jr. is especially effective in adding to
the sweet/sad/time-is-running-out
mood of the play.
Performances continue Thursday
through Sunday until March 3 at the
Detroit Repertory Theatre, 13103
Woodrow Wilson. For ticket informa-
tion, call the theater, 868-1347.