re v i e w
JAN CARTWRIGHT
OMELETS MADE TO ORDER
Inga R. Wilson and Drew Parker in Hard Love
Hard Love
JET brings to the stage a romance fraught
with tension and the dynamics of religion.
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I
n the opening scene of Motti
Lerner’s Hard Love on the JET
stage, Zvi (Drew Parker) and
Hannah (Inga R. Wilson) are meeting
for the first time since their divorce 20
years earlier. Hannah has asked Zvi to
come to her home in Me’a She’arim, an
isolated enclave in Jerusalem where
the ultra-Orthodox, sometimes called
haredi, reside. In an ironic twist of fate,
their children from their respective
second marriages have somehow met
and fallen in love, and Hannah wants
to discuss the situation.
As the scene unfolds, we learn why
the couple’s marriage fell apart two
decades ago: Although they grew up
in the same community, Zvi, formerly
called Hershel, lost his faith and left
to pursue a secular life as a novelist
in Tel Aviv. Two years later, he is in
the process of a second divorce, while
Hannah is living with the much older,
and sickly man she married after Tvi
left. It soon becomes clear that the two
still have deep feelings for each other,
despite their long separation and the
different paths they have chosen.
Originally written in Hebrew and
translated by Anthony Berris, the
play was first produced in 2003, but
its theme and the questions it poses
remain timely. We feel for Zvi and
Hannah as their obvious love and pas-
sion keep bumping up against their
disparate beliefs and lifestyles.
The play, directed by Linda Ramsay-
Detherage, who wrote the acclaimed
2015 JET production Sugarhill runs
90 minutes plus intermission. There
are two characters, Hannah and Zvi,
and two scenes, Hannah’s sparse
Jerusalem apartment and Zvi’s more
modern dwelling in Tel Aviv. Ramsay-
Detherage keeps things moving at a
good pace, and the actors are first-rate
and completely believable as they
struggle to reconcile their feelings with
their beliefs.
The sets and props, by scenic
designer/technical director Elspeth
Williams and property designer/
production stage manager Harold
Jurkewicz, effectively reinforce the
characters’ disparities. Hannah’s apart-
ment is spare and somewhat grim
in its décor or lack thereof; there are
a few pieces of utilitarian furniture
and the requisite bookshelves filled
with religious tomes. In contrast, Zvi’s
apartment has modern furniture
and accessories; a colorful painting
hangs on the wall.
Mary Copenhagen’s costumes
outwardly depict the couple’s inner
differences. Zvi wears jeans and a
T-shirt and even sports a tattoo,
while Hannah wears the modest
clothing of an Orthodox woman.
The production is rounded out with
sound by Matt Lira and lighting
designed by Neil Koivu.
Secular or less observant Jews in
this country may be frustrated by the
characters and their story. Why can’t
these two people reconcile their dif-
ferences in order to be together when
it is clearly something they have both
fervently wanted since their separa-
tion 20 years ago?
Those with knowledge of the ultra-
Orthodox lifestyle, especially in a place
like Me’a She’arim, where women have
been shouted at for baring their arms
in public, might understand how a
woman such as Hannah can no more
change her beliefs than the color of her
eyes, no matter how much she longs
for a different outcome. Zvi is just as, if
not more, immutable. He is not simply
indifferent to God and the idea of a
faith-based life; rather he sees God as
a force of evil, an unwelcome presence
in his home and his life.
While the play poses many seri-
ous questions, in the end it does not
provide any answers. Can love and
passion be enough to overcome such
significant religious differences? It is
said that sometimes no answer is an
answer in itself. Perhaps this is one of
those times. •
CREPES MADE TO ORDER
SHAVED HAM, SEASONED CHICKEN,
SHREDDED TURKEY
BREAKFAST BUFFET
SCRAMBLED EGGS, EGGS BENEDICT,
FRENCH TOAST, SAUSAGE GRAVY
AND BISCUITS
COLD BUFFET
SHRIMP COCKTAIL, SMOKED SALMON,
PASTA SALAD, MIXED GREENS,
ROMAINE SALAD,
CARVING STATION
ROASTED STRIP LOIN, CARVED HAM
27000 SOUTH KAREVICH DRIVE
NOVI, MICHIGAN 48377
HOT BUFFET
GRILLED SALMON, ROASTED PORK
LOIN, SAUTÉED CHICKEN BREAST
MAY 13 / 10 AM - 2 PM
KIDS BUFFET
MACARONI & CHEESE, PIZZA,
CHICKEN TENDERS
A DULTS . . . .
CHILDREN .
EPIC SWEET TABLE
PETIT FOURS, MINI CHEESECAKES,
FRUIT FLANS, CHARLOTTES,
KEY LIME PIE, COOKIES, APPLE PIE,
MINI BUMPY CAKES
Children under 6 free when
accompanied by adult guest.
.
4 5 .++
. . 1 8 .++
¨
248.305.5210 Î NoviChophouse.com
â
Novi@TheEpicureanGroup.com
MADE TO ORDER OMELETS
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ADULT S ............... 40 ++
C H I L D R E N . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ++
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CAKES, PIES, FRESH FRUIT
S U P E R S U N D AY B A R
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BAGEL & HOUSE BREAD DISPLAY
Cream Cheese, Butter & Lox Spread
POACHED SALMON DISPLAY
SEASONAL SALADS
ROOT VEGETABLE HASH POTATO
WITH POACHED EGGS
BISCUIT & PANCAKE BAR
5586 DR AKE ROAD
WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322
LEMON FRUIT TART & BISCOTTI
MAY 13 / 10am - 2pm
adults ..................... 2 5 ++
children .................. 12 ++
FRESH FRUIT DISPLAY
Children under 6 free when accompanied
by adult guest.
BRING CATERING HOME
Please call 248-661-2327
Delivery Available
¨ 248.788.7400 ÎFCSoulCafe.com
âKosher@TheEpicureanGroup.com
details
¨
Hard Love runs through May 6 at the JET
Theatre inside the West Bloomfield JCC.
$16-$44. (248) 788-2900; jettheatre.org.
â info@TheEpicureanGroup.com
Î
855.543.EPIC
TheEpicureanGroup.com
jn
April 19 • 2018
67