[ssba]
The Face in the Reeds
Reviewed by Pauline Adamek
Ruskin Group Theatre
Through Oct. 11
In Robin Uriel Russin’s new dramedy, family members from three generations quarrel during a Passover Seder – this Seder being especially significant for the protagonist Christina (Stacey Moseley) because it’s her first since she converted from the Catholic faith to Judaism.
Russin’s semi-stock characters predictably clash. There’s Christina, the second wife of gynecologist Barry (a duly patriarchal Chip Bolcik). She’s over compensating and feverishly obsessing over the minute details of the Passover dinner. Their son Mose (Aidan Blain) is convincing as the typical insolent teenaged boy tossing around smart-ass wisecracks. He’s mostly bemused by his Mom’s “hard core” embrace of the faith and taunts his sister with an incriminating photo he has on his cell phone. Rachel (Julia Arian) is Christina’s hostile older stepdaughter, vociferously rebelling against everyone and everything. The kids’ cheerfully obstreperous and profane grandfather Sol (Paul Zegler) is dying of cancer and so has turned to smoking pot for relief, much to his son Barry’s dismay. Representing the outsider (or non-Jewish) dinner guest is Patrick (Tom Berklund), a colleague of Barry who stands in for those of us in the audience who might be unfamiliar with this hallowed Jewish tradition.
As the Seder advances through its ritual stages of prayers, remembrances and ceremonial acts, the evening becomes repeatedly derailed by various recriminations and disclosures. Indeed, by the final portion of the play, enough revelatory bombs are dropped to level Dresden. While Russin’s characters are reasonably well observed, at times the dialogue is stagey and contrived. In wrestling with PC attitudes, the banter is slightly racy and often inappropriate, with a few comedic zingers here and there. The actors do well to flesh out their roles beyond their clichéd parameters, investing the story with the emotion it requires. But for the most part it’s just a frustrating and dysfunctional dinner where nobody gets to eat.
Sarah Figoten directs.
Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Road , Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through Oct 11. (310) 397-3244, ruskingrouptheatre.com/
