{"id":15449,"date":"2015-10-30T00:14:09","date_gmt":"2015-10-30T07:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=15449"},"modified":"2015-10-28T15:45:55","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T22:45:55","slug":"what-kind-of-jew-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2015\/10\/30\/what-kind-of-jew-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What kind of Jew are you?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine finding a play so funny and thought-provoking that you just had<\/em> to mount a production of it in your hometown \u2013 and you actually had the talent and wherewithal to do it.<\/p>\n

Famous Artists Limited\u2019s Bill Allman saw Joshua Harmon\u2019s Bad Jews<\/em> in London. He\u2019s bringing it to Rothstein Theatre Nov. 10-21, directed by Jay Brazeau and starring two other members of the Jewish community, Amitai Marmorstein and Goldie Hoffman. Rounding out the cast are Alex Rose and Kayla Dunbar.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Bill Allman (photo from Famous Artists Limited)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really difficult to pick one or two moments of hilarity or emotion from a play that kept me laughing and thinking for its entire duration,\u201d said Allman, \u201cbut I loved the raucous interaction between [cousins] Liam and Daphna and, in particular, watching Melody (that\u2019s Liam\u2019s shiksa girlfriend) react to them. The loudness and the verbal vitriol looks completely insane to her and yet the three cousins are sort of saying, \u2018What? This is how people talk!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for deep thought, much of the script gives the audience a chance to think about where faith and culture intersect and how these values affect daily life and interaction with others. The great thing about the play is that the characters are drawn in such a way as to illustrate a wide range of human experience and it doesn\u2019t matter where you fall on the spectrum \u2013 there will be something in one or more of the characters that makes you say, \u2018I\u2019m like that.\u2019 And you may laugh or you may wince but, inevitably, you\u2019ll laugh because 10 seconds later, it\u2019s somebody else\u2019s turn to wince!\u201d<\/p>\n

Secular Liam, his \u201cJew-ish\u201d brother Jonah and their staunch Zionist and Orthodox cousin Daphna fight over the right to their grandfather\u2019s chai necklace after he dies; he had managed to get it (and himself) through the Holocaust, and they each attribute a different importance and symbolism to it. Witnessing the mayhem, as Allman noted, is Liam\u2019s non-Jewish girlfriend, Melody.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich one of them is the \u2018best\u2019 Jew?\u201d reads the promotional material. \u201cIs it the religious and cultural zealot Daphna, who changed her name from Diana? What about her privileged cousin Liam, who missed Poppy\u2019s funeral to go skiing with his non-Jewish girlfriend Melody? Or perhaps Liam\u2019s brother, Jonah, the quiet one who would prefer not to get involved in the fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Amitai Marmorstein (photo from Famous Artists Limited)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marmorstein, who plays Jonah, was emailed by Brazeau with a request to read the script. \u201cI\u2019ve known Jay for awhile and have always been a very big fan of his,\u201d Marmorstein told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cHe arranged for Goldie and I to come in and read and talk about the play. He kept saying it wasn\u2019t an audition even though it sort of was. I think he just didn\u2019t want us to get nervous or anything. But the \u2018non-audition\u2019 went well, I guess, and Goldie and I were both offered roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director, writer, actor and producer Ben Ratner recommended Hoffman (who plays Daphna) to Brazeau. \u201cBen runs and teaches at Haven Studio, and I\u2019ve trained with him a lot, working on many intense plays and scripts in multiple genres. So, it\u2019s really thanks to Ben that I got this part,\u201d she said, \u201cboth because of his recommendation and also thanks to his training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoffman was asked by Brazeau and Allman to read with Marmorstein, and she also recalled being told, \u201c\u2018Don\u2019t think of this as an audition, Goldie …\u2019 they said and, as I jokingly thought to myself, the unsaid continuation of that line was, \u2018… but this read will likely affect whether or not you get the part.\u2019<\/p>\n

Fortunately, I got the part, and I\u2019m thrilled and truly honored to be playing such a fun role and being part of this ensemble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Characters that are a \u201ctype\u201d can come off as superficial. When asked in what ways they infuse their characters with humanity and depth, Marmorstein said, \u201cThe best way to never be a stereotype is to work with great writing. Joshua Harmon has written such honest, original, devastating characters that our job becomes much, much easier. I think creating real, non-stereotypical characters is precisely what the art of acting is, so we just try to be creative and honest and hope people connect to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Goldie Hoffman (photo from Famous Artists Limited)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hoffman went into more detail. \u201cI think it\u2019s important not to judge your character as good or bad, right or wrong,\u201d she said. \u201cHumans are complex individuals and it\u2019s important to remember that when you portray any character. In fact, generally in real life, we don\u2019t set out to be wrong or behave badly. Most of us try to go through life making good choices, and when we make bad ones or hurt people, we often don\u2019t intend to or don\u2019t even realize the impact of our words and actions. When playing a character, I try to portray their point of view, as best as I can understand it. In fact, after first reading the play, I was actually offended when first seeing Daphna described as a \u2018zealot\u2019 in online play reviews and synopses, because I see that term as quite negative, and I didn\u2019t see (or want to see) her that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel I really understand where Daphna is coming from, even if I don\u2019t share all her views. In fact, I\u2019d go as far as to say, this is a character that is closest to me of all the roles I\u2019ve ever portrayed \u2013 to the point where it\u2019s scary and even embarrassing. As for playing a certain \u2018type,\u2019 it\u2019s true there is a certain stereotype and similarity many Jewish girls and women share and, yes, a lot of it does apply to me: brunette, outspoken, loud, animated and, yes, also stubborn and annoying \u2013 but also spunky, fun, caring, intelligent and funny (and clearly modest). Hey, let\u2019s face it, get a bunch of Jewish girls in the room, and I challenge you to tell me many don\u2019t look and sound like sisters. Daphna shares these qualities, too, but, at the same time, we\u2019re of course all individuals, and so our views and outlooks on life can be extremely different.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as her being real,\u201d Hoffman continued, \u201cto me, Daphna already is a real person, and I can completely see and hear her, so I only hope I can translate that successfully to the audience. Aside from the parts of her that I relate to, I even know several \u2018Daphnas,\u2019 especially being raised Jewish in both N.Y. and Montreal and now being in L.A. a lot, all big \u2018Jew-towns.\u2019 There is a unique experience that Jewish girls and women have, which I relate to. For example, facing certain sexist traditions and customs (especially if raised Orthodox), family dynamics, rivalries, pressures and high expectations and, of course, last but not least, we are aware of our brethren\u2019s love of \u2018shiksappeal,\u2019 which my character\u2019s cousin Liam has. Though, on that subject, having dated several non-Jewish guys, I say, \u2018It\u2019s all good, boys, \u2019cause it goes both ways.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of which, where would Hoffman put herself on the spectrum of the \u201cbad Jews\u201d depicted in the play?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many ways, I think the play is actually poking fun at that very notion of being a \u2018bad Jew,\u2019 as there\u2019s really no such thing \u2013 or, if there is, well then, we\u2019re all \u2018bad Jews\u2019 in one way or another. There is no right way to be Jewish, either religiously or culturally, and, as Jews, we grapple with what that identity means to us and how much we want it to affect our lives and sense of self,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That being said, Hoffman compared herself to aspects of both Daphna and Liam. \u201cMy experience and views about my \u2018Jewishness\u2019 continue to change and evolve, so I\u2019ve been all over the map. For instance, as a kid, I was raised Chassidic, and then, as a teen, I became non-observant, but was still a believer. Then, I identified as \u2018spiritually Jewish.\u2019 Now, I no longer believe in Judaism, and I\u2019m a secular humanist, but culturally or ethnically, I am definitely Jewish (whether I like it or not). I think this is something a lot of non-Jews have trouble understanding, because the term Jew can apply to both the religion Judaism, but also the Jewish culture, ethnicity, nation and community, as we are such an old people that we predate these modern terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for Israel, as you know, that\u2019s such a sensitive and ambivalent issue for the Jewish community and something we all have different views on. For my character Daphna, Israel is extremely important and she plans to make her life there. I used to share her fervent Zionism as a teen, and even considered going to Israel as well, either to a kibbutz or to do one of their volunteer programs with Magen David Adom (their national emergency medical disaster, ambulance and blood-bank services as well as national aid society).<\/p>\n

\u201cI am still a supporter of Israel, though not without my criticism, just like with other countries; but, unlike Daphna, I don\u2019t support Israel from a religious standpoint and don\u2019t believe in the existence of holy lands. I can speak, read and write Hebrew (also some Arabic), and tend to really like and get along with Israelis and have a few friends and acquaintances in Tel Aviv who are in the arts scene. I think Israeli Jews are such a unique, interesting and strong people, and they\u2019re very different from North American Jews. If I\u2019m fully honest, I think they\u2019re our cooler cousins, because they\u2019re people who just \u2018happen\u2019 to be Jewish, versus we here who are taught our Jewish identity and worry about how it squares up with our national one, and who are, by and large, much more sheltered and privileged than they are. I also think Israelis are better looking than we are, but I know that\u2019s up for debate. But c\u2019mon, all those people mixing from all those different countries and backgrounds? You can\u2019t compete with that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning more serious, Hoffman said she struggles \u201cwith the paradoxical dilemma of how to continue the survival of the Jewish people and Israel, while still supporting humanism, secularism, democracy and the belief that mixing is a great thing for humanity. I think this is a major theme the play deals with and questions, and something most Jews can relate to, as well as many non-Jews with strong cultural and ethnic identities and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allman is an example of the latter. \u201cI was baptized Presbyterian, but fall very squarely into the religiously lapsed category \u2013 I have 50 years of Christmas trees that far outnumber my appearances in an actual church,\u201d he admitted. \u201cThe themes in Bad Jews<\/em> are universal \u2013 they\u2019re struggles with personal identity, with philosophy and with both the intimacy and disconnect that everyone struggles with in regards to the religion and culture of their ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201c[T]here is a very intellectual aspect to Judaism that I find extremely compelling \u2013 and that aspect doesn\u2019t exist in a vacuum, it\u2019s tied to practical living. It is certainly behind our initiative to have Rabbi [Jonathan] Infeld come in on Nov. 19 for a talkback with the audience and cast after the show. We\u2019re going to go after the issues behind the story! I love the deeply thoughtful traditions that can give birth to a work like Bad Jews<\/em> \u2013 a work like this comes from inner turmoil and passion. Now that\u2019s<\/em> living!\u201d<\/p>\n

For tickets, click here<\/a> or visit famousartists.ca<\/a>. For the full interview with Goldie Hoffman, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine finding a play so funny and thought-provoking that you just had to mount a production of it in your hometown \u2013 and you actually had the talent and wherewithal to do it. Famous Artists Limited\u2019s Bill Allman saw Joshua Harmon\u2019s Bad Jews in London. He\u2019s bringing it to Rothstein Theatre Nov. 10-21, directed by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[785],"tags":[559,4744,4743,4747,4745,53,4746],"class_list":["post-15449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performing-arts","tag-amitai-marmorstein","tag-bad-jews","tag-bill-allman","tag-famous-artists-limited","tag-goldie-hoffman","tag-holocaust","tag-identity-issues"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}