[NEohioPAL] Berko review: BROOKLYN BOY (JCC/CCC)

[Roy Berko]

Appealing ‘BROOKLYN BOY’ at  JCC

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

‘BROOKLYN BOY,’ now being performed in a joint
production between the Jewish Community Center and
Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus Theatre Arts
programs, harkens back to the days when Jewish-themed
plays were a main staple of Broadway theatre.  Those
days are long gone.  The Jewish experience, that which
centered on the Eastern European immigrant seeking to
assimilate into the Euro-American scene is basically
history.  So, plays investigating anti-Semitism,
trying to adjust to the land where the streets are
paved with gold, and the overbearing mother or
emotionally-absent father, complete with “Yiddish”
accents,  are seen less-and-less on the present day
stages.

However, there must still seems to be a sizeable
number of people who want to examine that experience. 
The opening night of ‘BROOKLYN BOY’ had a very
sizeable house.  And, in 2005 a staged version
starring Adam, had a successful run in the Big Apple.

Written by Donald Margulies, who was awarded a
Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his ‘DINNER WITH
FRIENDS,’ the story centers on Eric Weiss, a novelist
whose most recent work has made the New York Times
Best Seller’s List.  The story, an autobiographical
novel, has brought both fame and financial success to
the boy from Brooklyn.  The Brooklyn from which he has
psychologically tried to divorce himself.  He has
turned from his religion, distanced himself from his
family and friends, but mostly has hidden from
himself.  

We observed, as Weiss visits his father, a patient in
Maimonides Hospital, Brooklyn’s “Jewish” Hospital. 
His father, who spent his entire life as a shoe
salesman, absent from family, was never a warm man. 
His near impending death has not improved his
disposition.  While in the hospital Weiss runs into
Ira, his former “best” friend.  Ira, now an Orthodox
Jew, tries unsuccessfully to reach out by offering the
obviously unhappy Weiss, a serving of help through
faith.  Weiss’s frustrating attempt to seduce a young
woman who comes to one of his book signings, his
conflicts with his Hollywood agent, and finally a
denouement after his father’s death, complete the
scripts investigative cycle.

Though the script was not well received by the New
York critics because of its so-called “trite” plot and
that it deals with a “a standard
son-trying-to-earn-his-father's-approval story line,”
I think local audiences will like the concept.  It’s
filled with experiences and “hamish” (warm and
familiar) ideas, and enough comedy and pathos to make
for a positive evening at the theatre.

The JCC/CCC production, under the adept direction of
Brian Zoldessy, gets every nuance out of the script. 
The cast understands their characters, playing them
with just the right touch
not over the top, not overly
dramatic, not pleading for laughs.  The acting is
universally top notch.  Ben Needham’s turntable set is
impressive and becomes an integral part of the action,
highlighting the play’s structure of a series of six
scenes in six different settings.  Trad Burns’
lighting enhances the action and moods.  Stan Kozak’s
musical interludes are mood correct.

Charles Kartali’s Eric Weiss is so natural, it is easy
to forget that he is acting, not the real Weiss.  His
development of the last scene of the play is so
emotion-laden that silence proceeded the appreciative
applause.  

Bernard Canepari effectively develops Manny, Weiss’s
father.  It would have been easy to overplay the role,
but Canepari uses the correct restraint to develop a
man whose life was spent running away, hiding from
honest feelings.

Noah Budin is both humorous and appealing as Ira,
Eric’s former boyhood friend, while Dawn Youngs hits
the right notes as Weiss’s “shiksa” (non-Jewish) wife,
whose jealousy over her husband’s success destroys
their fragile and childless marriage.  Jane Conway as
the girl in the hotel, Maryann Elder as the agent and
Ron Cuirle as an actor who wants to play Weiss in the
movie version of the book, are all excellent.

Is the play autographical?  While contending that it
is a work of fiction, Margulies does not deny that
many of the characters and incidents do, in fact,
relate to his life.

Capsule judgement:  ‘BROOKLYN BOY’ should be favorably
received by those attend of production.  This is a
“nice” play, written in a comfortable way, that gets a
great production at JCC/CCC.  I’d strongly recommend a
“go see it!”

‘BROOKLYN BOY’ runs through March 9 in the Performing
Arts Auditorium at Cuyahoga County Community College‘s
Eastern Campus.  For tickets call 800- 766-6048 or go
on line to www.tickets.com




Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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