[NEohioPAL]Berko Review: TO KNOW HIM (Halle/JCC)

[Roy Berko]

‘TO KNOW HIM’--A FITTING PRODUCTION FOR THE CLOSING OF
THE HALLE THEATRE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


The drama program at the Jewish Community Center has a
unique mission.  It was founded to showcase dramatic,
musical and comedy scripts that either have a Jewish
theme or were written by Jewish playwrights.  It has
accomplished this mission well for many years.  First
in whatever venue they could find, then in a store
front on Lee Road and then at the “new” theatre in the
Mayfield JCC, which was called the Halle Theatre in
honor of the donors who gave the money to build the
performing arts space.  The decision has been made to
sell the facility and it will soon become rubble as it
is replaced by condominiums.  This leaves the JCC with
no performing arts center. (If you know of a donor who
would like to have his or her name inscribed on an
arts facility, I’m sure that the board of the JCC
would listen with an open ear.)

The theatre produced Yiddish and American plays until
Yiddish became a language understood by fewer and
fewer members of its audience.  For the last number of
years the offerings have been those written in
English.  

It is only fitting that ‘TO KNOW HIM,’ the final
production at Halle, is being directed by Dorothy
Silver, stars Brian Zoldessy and Reuben Silver and is
produced by Fred Sternfeld.  For many years Dorothy
was the artistic director of the J’s drama program. 
The JCC’s playwriting competition is dedicated to her
in honor of her many years of service.  Her husband,
Reuben, has appeared in and directed many of the “J’s”
plays.  By  the way...the duo was recently inducted
into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in a State
House ceremony in Columbus.

Zoldessy, who is Director of Theatre Arts at Cuyahoga
Community College, Eastern Campus, was instrumental in
allowing the JCC drama program’s rebirth, after a year
of hiatus, to perform its outstanding production of
‘RAGTIME, THE MUSICAL’ last year.  Sternfeld not only
directed ‘RAGTIME’ but was also the guiding hand
behind ‘MAN OF LAMANCHA’ and other J productions and
will be directing their fall production of ‘SOUTH
PACIFIC.’  Zhe serves as the organization’s Theatre
Consultant.

‘TO KNOW HIM,’ written by Albi Gorn, was the 2002
winner of the Dorothy Silver Playwriting Contest.   It
is the story of Rick, a gay man dying of AIDS, who
receives an obligatory visit from Penny, a student in
her last stages of preparation for the rabbinate.  Her
final assignment is to do visitations to hospital
patients.    Her enthusiasm and zealousness butt up
against the Jewish, but agnostic Rick, a college
professor of film, who wants none of her ministering. 
To add to the mix is Rick’s father, a traditional man
who said “kaddish,” the prayer for the dead when he
found out his son was homosexual.  The two have been
alienated for many years.  Penny encourages prayer and
reconciliation.  Rick responds, “When you have heard
kaddish said for you, what else is there to pray for?”

The plot of ‘TO KNOW HIM’ is obvious, but it matters
little.  The overall effect is quite palatable.  It
makes its statement about prayer, forgiveness, the
Jewish philosophy “Tikun Olam” (repairing the world),
and how life can be meaningful if there is someone in
it to share both your joys and sorrows.

Director Silver has paced the show well and has honed
a nice cohesiveness in the cast.  Brian Zoldessy’s
Rick not only looks the part of a sick man but conveys
the difficulty leading to death well, including a
phlegm-sounding rasp.  Zoldessy needs not go too far
to get the motivation for the role.  He, himself, has
been in precarious health for a period of time, so
much of his psychological memory is immediate.  His is
an excellent performance.

Alicia Kahn as Penny has some strong moments.  During
her opening scene she shows proper angst, but overdoes
it to the point that she is almost unbelievable as a
real person and especially one who has come this far
in her rabbinical training.  As the play develops she
becomes more real and grows as the character grows.

Reuben Silver doesn’t make his entrance until the
second act.  Not only was he met with applause, but an
elderly man sitting behind me loudly pronounced,
“Finally, there he is already.”  Silver knows how to
milk each line for meaning.  He suffers verbally and
physically, he mumphers to perfection.  He makes the
father, Harry, completely believable.  Reuben Silver
is Reuben Silver...what greater tribute can be given
an actor?  

Tony Kovacic’s set is excellent.  The hospital room’s
back wall is a scrim which allows us to see a backdrop
composed of large movie posters from many of the films
discussed in the bantering between movie buff Penny
and film expert Rick.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘TO KNOW HIM’ is an appropriate
tribute to the history of JCC.  It is a play worth
seeing and this is your last chance to feel the warmth
of the venue and emotionally touch and feel the
history that has taken place there.  Personally,
having done much of my early theatrical performing in
that facility, I dread seeing the wrecking ball
destroy one of my “theatrical homes.”

‘TO KNOW HIM,’ runs through May 22 at the Eugene S.
and Blanche R Halle Theatre.  For tickets call
216-382-4000.




Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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