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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Bad Jews Also see Susan's reviews of Disney's The Little Mermaid and Fiddler on the Roof Studio Theatre in Washington has staged a resplendent production of Bad Jews, Joshua Harmon's riotous play with the in-your-face title. While the family battles of these three cousins and one visitor are specifically Jewish in nature, the themes of ethnic pride, family history and legend, and one's place in society are universal. Director Serge Seiden has directed—one might even say choreographed—his four actors in Luciana Stecconi's purposefully cramped set so that every step has a purpose. The cousins have gathered in this New York apartment following the funeral of their grandfather, and the primary drama comes from which of them will inherit the gold Chai (a medallion depicting the Hebrew word for life) that he managed to keep during the Holocaust. The showiest role is Daphna, née Diana, and Irene Sofia Lucio ably portrays the character as she careens from one emotion to another. She's a self-proclaimed "super Jew," talking at length about her plans to move to Israel, her Israeli boyfriend, and her interest in becoming a rabbi. (Not incidentally, she also has the thick, wavy, frizzy hair that is a big part of the "looking Jewish" stereotype.) As far as she's concerned, no one else in the family has as much of a claim on the Chai as she does. Standing in opposition to Daphna is her non-religious cousin Liam (Alex Mandell), who has his own reasons for wanting the Chai. While his speeches aren't as kaleidoscopic as hers, they are similarly erudite and impassioned, and Mandell does very well with them. Offering strong support are Joe Paulik as Liam's younger brother Jonah, who just wants to keep the peace, and Maggie Erwin in a winning performance as Liam's girlfriend Melody, a preppy blonde who wears a pink bow-shaped barrette in her sleek hair and has amazingly little self-awareness. (When Daphna asks Melody about the origins of her family, she says, "We're always been from Delaware.") The spirit of the enterprise boils down to an exchange between the two women. Well-bred WASP Melody says she doesn't want to argue with combative New Yorker Daphna, who replies, "This isn't an argument. We're talking." Studio Theatre |
