SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
On TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp New Jersey Review
Esther’s Moustache
|
"Goddesses don’t have stray black hairs only old Russian ewish women do. Jewish women are not sexy. I read that somewhere. "— Lilith
|
Catherine LeFrere. Uma Incrocci, Burt Grinstead.
(Photo: SuzAnne Barabas)
|
Ostensibly Esther’s Moustache is about the identity crisis of Maddie (Catherine LeFrere) a conflicted 25 year-old Jewish woman cartoonist who both authors and illustrates naughty comics and graphic novels. She has found escape from her New York family’s influence, her heritage and religious roots in California where she has created an existence through an alter ego — a cartoon character Lilith (Uma Incrocci) — in a fantasy world empowered by sex and seduction.
The play begins with Maddie sitting at the drafting table in her one bedroom beach cottage in Venice, California (another fine scenic design by Jessica parks). She is trying to finish an overdue sketch for Raunch Magazine while behind her and within the frame of a large window is her creation, the sexy, leggy blonde goddess Lilith who slinks about in a glittering strapless red gown all the while expressing verbally the comically infused carnality of Maddie’s suppressed desires.
Obsessed with and possessed by Lilith (Uma Incrocci), Maddie takes a break and picks up a hand-mirror and to her horror thinks she sees the beginnings of a moustache on her upper lip. Maddie is distracted from her distress by the arrival on roller blades of Gerd (Burt Grinstead), a tall, hunky blonde messenger boy with a thick German accent who has been sent by the publisher to pick up her sketch. In an instant, Gerd develops a mad crush for Maddie who, despite her concern for the as yet invisible moustache, responds eagerly to his passionate overtures. Their hot and heavy romance is thrown into a tumult with the unexpected arrival of Esther (Jim Shankman), Maddie’s Russian-Jewish grandmother.
I have no explanation as to why the dour-faced Esther who, with a steamer trunk in tow, is played by a male actor other than as a sight gag. Esther, however, is no grab-bag of Yiddish gags, although her steamer contains her kosher pots and pans as well as her homemade latkes that have withstood the flight still warm and ready to eat. A widow, Esther has apparently come, despite not being invited, for a lengthy stay. Not complaining that she has to sleep on the floor, she of course hasplenty to say about Maddie’s dismissal of her Jewish faith and heritage, her estrangement from her New York family, and most vociferously about the affair her granddaughter is starting under her nose with the rather personable and modestly conciliatory Herd whom she, nevertheless, views as a Nazi.
Neither Esther or Gerd are able to see the increasingly frustrated Lilith who seems to be losing some traction with Maddie in the light of the intrusive Esther laying on the guilt and Gerd laying on the charm. The plot becomes increasingly far-fetched; make that farblondzhet, when Gerd inexplicably bonds with Esther by taking cooking classes with her. Mentored in the Jewish religion and traditions by Esther, Gerd not only invites Esther to move in with him, but is soon wearing a yarmulke, the black attire of the Orthodox, and has grown pais (side curls), blonde of course.
Far be it from me to spoil any surprise regarding the growth and/or appearance or disappearance of moustaches as the play reaches its climactic moments. Rudimentary at best, the acting of all four participants reflects the inability of author-director Ollstein to find a cohesive contour and style for the mostly over-the-top cavorting.
Ollstein, whose numerous credits cite her successful transition from actor to writer, as well as her time as an original member of Tim Robbins’ award winning theatre company The Actors Gang, may have some generous, humorous and heartwarming things to say about coming to terms with being a Jew, but they are not in evidence hiding behind Esther’s Moustache.
|
Esther’s Moustache Written and Directed by Laurel Ollstein Cast: Catherine LeFrere (Maddie), Uma Incrocci (Lilith), Burt Grinstead (Gerd), Jim Shankman (Esther) Scenic Design & Properties: Jessica Parks Lighting Design: Jill Nagle Costume Design: Patricia E. Doherty Sound Design: Merek Royce Press Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes including intermission New Jersey Repertory Company, 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ. (732) 229 – 3166 $40.00; seniors $36.00; students $25.00 Performances Thursday, Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 3 PM & 8 PM & Sundays at 2 PM with selected Sundays at 7 PM. From 12/13/12 Opened 12/15/12 Ends 01/13/13 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 12/15/12 |
|
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe,
E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. Visit Curtainup's Blog Annex For a feed to reviews and features as they are posted add http://curtainupnewlinks.blogspot.com to your reader Curtainup at Facebook . . . Curtainup at Twitter |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): >Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email and state if you'd like your comments published in our letters section. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. You can also contact us at Curtainup at Facebook or Curtainup at Twitter and Curtainup's Blog Annex |
Book of Mormon -CDOur review of the show
Slings & Arrows-the complete set
You don't have to be a Shakespeare aficionado to love all 21 episodes of this hilarious and moving Canadian TV series about a fictional Shakespeare Company
