fbpx

West Coast Jewish Theatre’s ‘Sarah’ knows how to charm

It remains an enduring puzzle why, in a city of more than half a million Jews, where Jewish money supports every form of artistic expression and Hollywood overflows with Jewish talent, the city\'s sole Jewish theater struggles to survive from season to season.
[additional-authors]
May 25, 2010

It remains an enduring puzzle why, in a city of more than half a million Jews, where Jewish money supports every form of artistic expression and Hollywood overflows with Jewish talent, the city’s sole Jewish theater struggles to survive from season to season.

Maybe it’s because Jewish themes now pervade mainstream plays and movies, or because we think of Jewish theater in terms of sentimental shtetl weepers, or because we don’t even know such an institution exists.

Yet, a visit to the current production “Sarah Sarah” proves again that the West Coast Jewish Theatre can and does put on excellent plays with highly professional casts in a pleasant environment.

Admittedly, the play’s first 10 minutes—as middle-age Sarah Grosberg (Cheryl David) bustles around her 1961 Toronto apartment with a graying wig and East European accent—arouse trepidation that the audience is in for a Yiddishe mama saga, drenched in laughter and tears.

But the pace picks up as bearded, cross-dressing “housemaid” Vincent (Bart Braverman) appears, followed by prospective daughter-in-law Rochelle (Robyn Cohen). She is about to undergo a Torquemada-like inquisition for her chutzpah in wanting to marry Sarah’s precious son, Artie (Patrick J. Rafferty).

Granted, the mother battling to save her son from the not-good-enough girl is not an original concept, but playwright Daniel Goldfarb and director Howard Teichman infuse the scene with unusual tension and wit.

In the second act, 40 years have passed, and actress David is now Jennifer, granddaughter of the first act’s Sarah Grosberg, who has traveled to Hefei to adopt a Chinese baby girl, accompanied by her kvetching father (Braverman).

Also present are a young couple, Maggie (Cohen) and Miles (Rafferty), who try to negotiate with Chinese officials in the complex adoption process.

One complication is that the prospective adoptee has some real or imagined illnesses and could be autistic, and one weighty question facing the Americans is whether to go through with the adoption or back out.

The dilemma allows for some sharp observations on Jewish values, race and the adopted girl’s future self-identity. A hint of the latter comes as Jennifer and her father admire the sleeping baby.

“What do you think she’s thinking about?” Jennifer asks, and the father shoots back, “I used to be a Chinese orphan, but now I’m a rich Jew.”

The small cast has to essay some nimble transformations to make each of their dual roles distinct and separate and does so admirably, with David the dominant figure, Braverman her outspoken servant/father, and Rafferty in the rather thankless role of straight man.

Cohen, a lovely young woman, is particularly appealing as the prospective daughter-in-law who tries first to appease her fiance’s mother, but finally finds her backbone and turns on her tormentor.

In the second act, Cohen changes her hair color as well as her personality. She gives a bright, funny performance as a ditzy dame, with a hysterical laugh and a gift for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong people. Rafferty is her suitably exasperated companion.

Los Angeles had no permanent Jewish theater until 1993, when Naomi Karz Jacobs “assembled a group of friends with Yiddishkeit and love of theater in their hearts,” as the official history has it.

The theater began with staged readings and musical and comedic performances, enlisting such talents as Bea Arthur, Ed Asner, Elliott Gould and Hal Kanter.

The first full three-play season was in 2005-2006, which included the theater’s greatest hit to date, “Zero Hour.” The one-man musical about the legendary Zero Mostel won numerous awards and attracted a record attendance of 2,000 patrons.

Guiding the theater now are artistic director Herb Isaacs and resident producer Teichman, who labor mightily to put together a three-play bill on an annual budget of $150,000 to $160,000.

“Sarah Sarah” continues through June 20 at the Pico Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, with evening performances Thursday through Saturday and Sunday matinees. For information, phone (323) 821-2449 or (323) 860-6620 or visit www.wcjt.org.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.