Written by Ron Elisha by Playbox Theatre
at
Beckett Theatre until June ? 2000
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Families can be fraught with emotional blackmail, madness,
anger and misunderstanding. They are also the people we rely on in a crisis.
Ron Elisha's play, The Goldberg Variations, examines twenty
years in the life of the Goldberg family. He chooses to do so through the eyes
of a blind man, an outsider.
Sol Goldberg - no relation - makes his living as a
speechwriter for Jewish family occasions. Over the twenty years, the Goldbergs
come to him to discuss speeches for Nina's 21st birthday, (Christen O'Leary)
and engagement party, her parents' 25th wedding anniversary, (John Wood,
Catherine Wilkin) the opening of her sculpture exhibition, her son's barmitzvah and Lev's 56th birthday.
Elisha uses each visit to Sol to reveal a little more about
the characters and the family dynamic.
Sol is almost a blank slate for them. He lives alone,
isolated in darkness but creates speeches for them out of their own thoughts,
comments and feelings.
He is asked to write speeches that will manipulate other
members of the family: make mum and dad stay together or force Nina to take her
boring optometrist husband's name.
Elisha writes a good gag in the off-hand, cynical style of
Woody Allen and Seinfeld. But he also writes some good monologues. His best
work is in the second half which is much more substantial and successful.
The finest monologue in the play is from mad Uncle Zev
played by Brian Lipson He speaks to the
UN about the state of the Jewish nation and the impact of the Holocaust.
Lipson's performance is poignant and beautifully executed.
John Wood is also particularly strong as Lev while Christen
O'Leary and Catherine Wilkin are warm and lively presences. .
Unfortunately, the pivotal role of Sol is weakened by Pip
Mushin's performance. He is vocally limited, particularly in Act One and misses
some fine opportunities to milk the humour and pathos.
Director, Max Gillies,
could have enlivened the stage with more engaging interaction between
characters. The design by Shaun Gurton although representing an authentic
hermit's cell for Sol, does not enhance the piece.
The Goldberg Variations is a mixed bag, but quite an
entertaining evening
By Kate Herbert
No comments:
Post a Comment