[NEohioPAL] Berko review: MY NAME IS ASHER LEV @ Cleveland Play House

[Roy Berko]

Thought provoking ASHER LEVY examines family and tradition at CPH

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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At the start of MY NAME IS ASHER LEV, which is now in production at the 
Cleveland Play House, a bearded, dark suited young man stands center stage in a 
spot of light.  All attention is focused on him as he states that he is an 
observant Jew who is also an artist.  He is a controversial artist, who has 
challenged the customs and dictates of his pious Orthodoxy by not only being a 
painter, but having conceived a blasphemous duo of paintings.  Paintings, named 
Brooklyn Crucifixions, which show his mother as a martyr being crucified on a 
cross created by the window frame in their Brooklyn apartment from which she 
watched the world.  A martyr for her role as the peace maker between the boy and 
his father.

Asher, our narrator, takes us on a journey through his life.  Age 12…he 
discovers art when his mother takes him to the Art Museum; age 6…we view his art 
abilities starting to develop; age 7, his exposure to Chagall and Picasso and 
the sale of his first painting; the death of his mother's beloved brother, which 
sends her into a psychological tail spin and causes Asher to stop painting.  The 
tale goes on, carrying the audience through a non-linear emotional roller 
coaster which ends in a series of events which changes Asher and the family 
forever.  

MY NAME IS ASHER LEV is a play adapted by Aaron Posner from the best selling 
book by Chaim Potok.  

Chaim Potok, an ordained rabbi, writes from the perspective of a man brought up 
in an Orthodox branch of Judaism which adheres to a strict interpretation of the 
Talmud and the Torah.  In his writing he examines the conflict between secular, 
religious and individualistic interests.  He probes the concept of aesthetic 
blindness as it relates to moral blindness.  His books THE CHOSEN and THE 
PROMISE brought him world wide fame. MY NAME IS ASHER LEV and a sequel, THE GIFT 
OF ASHER LEV, continued his exploration of the difficulty of living a strictly 
religious life in a secular world and the problems it can create in a family.

The CPH production, under the direction of Laura Kepley, is well conceived.  
Kepley had many decisions to make regarding the staging.  She went with 
minimalism in order to force the audience to become artists.  There is no actual 
art work shown…all the papers and canvases are blank…forcing the viewer to 
imagine what is there…it stimulates literal visions from imagination.  Asher, at 
all ages, is played by one bearded actor with no costume or makeup changes.  We 
are challenged to imagine Asher from ages 6 to adulthood, while seeing the same 
physical being.  We see the father transitioning into the  Rebbe, Asher's uncle 
and Asher's art teacher.  The mother also portrays a nude model and an art 
gallery owner. 

Noel Joseph Allain gives a nicely textured performance as Asher.  Elizabeth 
Raetz, is believable in her roles as mother, art gallery owner and model. Tom 
Alan Robbins gives fidelity to each of his multiple portrayals.

The simple set, the underscored music, effective lighting and authentic costumes 
all help create the illusions and carry us on our journey.

One of the questions must be, “Will a person who is not Jewish be able to both 
understand and feel empathy?”  Following the opening night production I talked 
to A. Grace Lee Mims, the area's well known African American radio show host, 
who assured me that the message of family and cultural rituals were universal, 
and she thoroughly enjoyed the production.  She shared that reading the program 
Glossary, which lists the Yiddish and Hebrew terms used in the play, aided in 
her understanding the Jewish specific vocabulary.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  MY NAME IS ASHER LEV is a well written script which gets a 
finely conceived production at the Cleveland Play House.  Mazel Tov 
(congratulations) to the director and cast!

MY NAME IS ASHER LEV runs through APRIL 3 at the Cleveland Play House.  For 
tickets call 216-795-7000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com. 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal