‘Bad Jews’ at Actor’s Express
Wyatt Fenner, Galen Crawley, Louis Gregory. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus.
“Bad Jews” at Actor’s Express isn’t bad, but it’s not getting my vote for good. One person who saw it on opening night said, “It was high school acting.” Another said he liked it and “was moved to tears.”
Here’s a link to the New York Times review of the play when it was first produced at the Roundabout Theater in 2012. On that link you can watch a clip from that production. The actress in the clip made me laugh but not the one I saw Saturday night.
Being a Jew, watching the play at Actor’s Express, I could certainly relate to the text and the ways both of the main characters felt about being Jewish. To Liam (Wyatt Fenner), it’s not important to preserve the Jewish religion or the culture. To his cousin Daphne (Galen Crawley), it’s extremely important. Both characters were spewing a lot of vindictive words and emotions, but neither I nor my companion — who is also Jewish — felt any emotion for the characters or the play. But apparently, a lot of other people like it. Since its opening in New York, “Bad Jews” has become the third most produced play in the country, according to Variety Magazine..
Written by Joshua Harmon, directed by Freddie Ashley, “Bad Jews” plays at Actor’s Express through Feb. 22.
Cast:
Meldoy – Rachel De-Julio
Joseph – Louis Gregory
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