Bad Jews
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Cititour.com Review
Hurricane Sandy has nothing on Daphna Feigenbaum. As played by the stupendous Tracee Chimo in Joshua Harmon's disturbingly funny Bad Jews, now being given an excellent production under Daniel Aukin’s savvy direction, at the Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre, this human maelstrom does more damage to the inhabitants of an Upper West Side apartment than any real hurricane ever has.
As the self-righteous Daphna (nee Diana) loudly proclaims her Jewishness, flaunts the existence of her never-seen Israeli boyfriend, and, above all, fights for the right to inherit her beloved grandfather's gold Chai -- a religious medallion he miraculously managed to keep hidden during his two years in a concentration camp -- nothing in her path is safe. Certainly not her older cousin Liam (the excellent Michael Zegen), who has managed to miss their beloved grandfather's funeral because he was skiing in Aspen (and somehow lost his iPhone), his good-hearted non-Jewish girlfriend, Melody (Molly Ranson, making the most of an underdeveloped role that practically screams "plot device"), or even Liam's younger none-too-bright brother Jonah (an effective Philip Ettinger), who originally seems to be Daphna’s sole ally.
Harmon is smart enough not to leave Daphna unscathed. Once Liam gets his turn to attack Daphna’s self-righteousness and gift for dramatization, he gives almost as good as he gets, delivering his blows with the force of a seasoned prizefighter. Yet, nothing knocks her down, since Daphna’s survival instinct seems stronger than anything that threatens it.
If Harmon's gift for the stinging barb consistently impresses, so does his feel for the complexity, of family dynamics. From the cousins' shared hilarity over a long-ago dinner at Benihana to the resentments over money and family favoritism, Harmon captures all of those moments that bond people who share blood and memories. Equally important, Harmon asks us to think about the courage of our own convictions, and the cost of cowardice, jealousy, and sheer pettiness.
In the end, it’s not even clear who the “bad” Jew really is. What is crystal clear, however, is that we’re watching a major new writing talent and four extraordinary young actors bring his words to unforgettable life.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Bad-Jews.aspx
Cast
Tracee Chimo, Philip Ettinger, Molly Ranson, Michael Zegen
Open/Close Dates
Opening 9/19/2013
Closing 12/29/2013
Box Office
212-719-1300
Theatre Info
Laura Pels Theatre
111 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
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