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Regional Reviews: Boston Bad Jews Also see Nancy's review of Dusk Rings a Bell
What you do need to appreciate this play are an ability to digest rat-a-tat-tat monologues that range from smart to funny to caustic, a tolerance for a quartet of characters you would probably not choose as friends, and a willingness to consider how you might behave under the same circumstances. Armed with those capacities, whether or not you enjoy Bad Jews has a lot to do with your brand of humor and how you receive its messages when delivered by (mostly) unsympathetic messengers. Harmon has a great deal to say about families, faith, legacy, and assimilation versus ethnocentrism, but you have to hack through the chaff to locate the wheat. The wordy tirades of the two antagonists can be exhausting to hear, but they are orated with brio by Alison McCartan (Daphna) and Victor Shopov (Liam) as the adversarial cousins who both have a stake in a family heirloom belonging to their just-deceased grandfather Poppy, a beloved Holocaust survivor. Daphna (nee Diana) Feygenbaum is a devout, self-righteous Jew who feels a religious connection to his gold chai (the Hebrew word for life) necklace, while Liam (Hebrew name Shlomo) Haber is about as secular as they come, but desires the object as a symbol of his love for Poppy and to use to carry on a family tradition. Both of the combatants strive to manipulate and get support from Liam's younger brother Jonah (Alex Marz), but he doesn't want to be involved and says as little as possible. Caught in the crossfire is Liam's shiksa girlfriend Melody (Gillian Mariner Gordon) who is hard-pressed to fathom the depths of the vitriol flying around the tony Upper West Side studio apartment. Harmon's writing is crisp and quick-witted, and he draws these flawed characters using a fine-point, not a broad brush. Jonah is recognizable as a slacker, the lesser light of these two privileged brothers, and Marz tells us much of what we need to know about him by his heavy sighs, the slump of his shoulders, and even the way he shoves his hands into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. It is painful to watch him struggle to say something, only to be stifled by Liam or Daphna, but he conveys more by his silence than by his words. Melody also speaks less than the others, but she has to figure out how to fit in with this group. Gordon spends a lot of time smiling politely or looking confused or dismayed by what she's hearing. She does a good job of trying not to step on anyone's toes at the same time as she tries to avoid being trampled by the stampede of negativity flung her way by Daphna, and surprises with her intensity when her moment comes. As per the script, costume designer Tyler Kinney makes Melody look like she just stepped out of Talbots. McCartan hits the deck running, making you curious if she has time for a breath in her relentless opening monologue. She inhabits the abrasive, outspoken Daphna who gives as good as she gets when she squares off with her cousin, but McCartan's performance would benefit from greater nuance. Although one might assume that insecurity is at the core of some of Daphna's behavior, she hesitates to let any weakness show until very late in the game. Even when Liam strikes a decisive blow to her ego, the façade does not crack and denies us the opportunity to feel sympathetic toward her. Shopov is the extra-strength glue that holds the show together and his performance elevates Bad Jews to a higher plane. He finds the perfect tone for Liam, ranting and raving to a point that is just shy of going over the top, but reining himself in before it is too much. He reveals comic chops that he's evidently been hiding (or, more likely, hasn't had the occasion to display) and it's a wonder he doesn't bust a gut (or a blood vessel) mid-tirade when he becomes dangerously red in the face. Liam is entitled, overbearing and obnoxious, but we can stand to be in the room with him because Shopov makes him compelling to watch. Rebecca Bradshaw makes her SpeakEasy Stage directorial debut an impressive one, corralling these mercurial characters in Eric Levenson's one-room set, balancing the biting humor and the pathos, and hitting all of Harmon's marks while traveling at breakneck speed. Give an assist to Angie Jepson for her fight choreography. Lighting designer Chris Bocchiaro doesn't take sides, but adds to or diminishes the brightness at the whim of the battling cousins, and Edward Young handles sound design. The title of the play is the elephant in the room, but as a member of the tribe, I am not offended. The reference has to do with Liam's distance from the religious beliefs and observances that are of such great importance to Daphna, and is not making a pejorative statement about the Jewish people. The attitudes and behaviors that the playwright captures could easily be manifested in a play about a multitude of ethnic groups. However, everyone needs to decide for themselves whether or not this is something they want to support. In the end, it may surprise you. Bad Jews, performances through November 29, 2014, at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-933-8600 or www.speakeasystage.com/. Written by Joshua Harmon, Directed by Rebecca Bradshaw; Scenic Design, Eric Levenson; Costume Design, Tyler Kinney; Lighting Design, Chris Bocchiaro; Sound Design, Edward Young; Fight Choreography, Angie Jepson; Production Stage Manager, Tareena D. Wimbish Cast (in alphabetical order): Gillian Mariner Gordon, Alex Marz, Alison McCartan, Victor Shopov
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