New York, New York

A bounty of Jewish-themed plays attracts theater-goers
•
,
. ,
ity C this winter.
on the town" in New York
Debbie's mother, although dead for

ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER

Special to The Jewish News

T heater-goers looking r, for
Jewish themes on the New
York stage have plenty of
options. Here is a roundup
of what's currently playing:

spends his afternoons at the neighbor-
hood park. He strikes up a conversa-
tion with Kelly, a young Irish-Catholic
woman from Iowa, who also likes to
spend time there.
As the two continue to meet, they
develop rapport, and share their
secrets and problems. Kelly, a newly-
wed whose husband's job brought the

ing from her husband to find herself.
By the end of the play, both Kelly
and Chaim have gained a new perspec-
tive on life. Through Kelly, Chaim redis-
covers the exuberance of life, and from
Chaim, Kelly gains grace and wisdom.
Loaded with wit and sentimentality,
the play is part of the American Jewish
Theatre series.

-

many years, continues to be a real pres-
ence in her daughter's life. Mina Bern, a
veteran of 60 years in the Yiddish the-
ater, heads the cast as Debbie's mother.
Zise Khaloymes is performed in
Yiddish with simultaneous English
and Russian translations available.
Closes Jan 31.

• 2 1/2 Jews, written by 75-year-
• Parade, a new musical
old
first-time playwright Alan Brandt,
based on the true story of Leo
Left: TYagi Schw a ItZ,
is
billed
as a serio-comedy. The play
Frank, is directed by Hal
Richard M Dat 'idson and Sam Gray
tells
the
story of an 80-year-old grand-
Prince and written by Pulitzer
in "2 1,2 Jews," serio-comedy by
father
who
is arrested for urinating on
-ight
Alan
Brandt.
first-time playwi
Prize-winning playwright
28'
a
potted
plant
outside a restaurant.
Alfred Uhry, with music and
The
elderly
man's
58-year-old son, a
lyrics by the up-and-coming
prominent
civil
rights
attorney who
Jason Robert Brown.
cares more for his work than for his
Set in Atlanta in 1913,
family, is brought in to defend his fathe:---
Left:
Parade chronicles actual
Allen Bloomfield
Married to a non-Jew, the son also
events surrounding the Leo
is the title
has
a son, a budding lawyer. However,
Frank case. Frank, Jewish
character and
the
half-Jewish
grandson is a family
and a native New Yorker,
Kathleen
man.
Unlike
his
dad, he learns how to
was superintendent of the
Marshall
balance
career
with
family.
National Pencil Co. in
is Kelly in
The
play's
irony
lies in the fact that
Atlanta when he was false-
"Chaim's Love
it
is
the
1/2
Jew
(the
grandson) who
ly accused of raping and
Song," a new
figures
out
what
is
important
in life.
murdering 13-year-old
play by Marvin
Closes
Feb.
7.
Mary Phagan.
Chernoff
Leo's devoted wife,
• The Most Fabulous Story Ever
Lucille Selig Frank, a Jewish
Right:
written by award-winning play-
Told,
Southerner, fought hard to
Brent Carver
wright
Paul Rudnick, ponders the fol-
get her husband released, but
(right, standing)
lowing:
What if God had made Adam
to no avail. Given the anti-
as Leo Frank and
and
Steve,
instead of Adam and Eve?
Semitic climate of the time
J.B. Adams (front
In
this
satirical
comedy, Adam and
and the sensationalistic news-
left, seated) as
Steve,
and
Jane
and
Mabel — Earth's
paper coverage, Frank was
Luther Rosser,
two
couples
—
seek
God on the Ark,
quickly convicted — despite
Frank's lawyer, in
beside
the
Pyramids,
and at Kmart
the absence of any real evi-
a scene from Alfred
Christmas
Eve.
Rudnick,
a Reform
dence — then abducted from
Uhry's "Parade,"
Jew from New Jersey who also
his cell by a lynch mob and
directed by Hal
authored the Kevin Kline film In and
hung from a tree.
Prince with music
Out, draws from his own background.
Uhry, a Jewish Southerner
and lyrics by Jason
He recently told the New York Times
Robert Brown.
who wrote Driving Miss
that he now finds himself "exploring
Daisy and The Last Night of
the most foreign turf imaginable: reli-
Ballyhoo, has several personal
• Zise Khaloymes, Yiddish for
couple to Brooklyn, yearns to return
gion and the existence of God."
"sweet dreams," is a new musical writ-
connections to the incident.
to the Midwest. Chaim reveals that his
Uhry's grandmother was a friend of
ten and directed by Eleanor Reissa. It
first wife died in childbirth, and that
• The American Jew, now in pre-
Lucille Frank, two cousins were on
is the story of Debbie, a young, single
Tzawrah, his second wife of some 50
views, is a one-person comedy, based
Frank's defense team and Uhry's great-
Jewish woman living in New York
years, has never recovered from her
on interviews and conversations with
uncle owned the National Pencil Co.
City's fast lane.
experiences during the Holocaust.
American Jews conducted by Tuvia
Conflicted because her lifestyle is not
Frank's story is a harrowing one that
Chaim's children are another source
Tenenbom. Victor Altar and
Uhry always wanted to write about.
conducive to Jewish traditions, Debbie
of grief. His aspiring actor son Reuben
Catherine Curtin will alternate at per
tries to find herself. In the meantime,
has
changed
his
ethnic-sounding
name
formances. Opens Jan. 7 at the Jewisl
she is haunted by the memory of her
• Chaim's Love Song, written by
to Rock Cooper to advance his career.
Theater
of New York. ri
Marvin Chernoff, is set in Brooklyn.
deceased mother, who was a devout Jew.
Chaim's daughter, Rachel, is separat-
Chaim Shotsky, a retired mailman,

12/25
1998