#1
Posted: 3/25/09 at 5:44pm
Tovah Feldshuh is a true chameleon, losing herself in every part she plays. Her performance in IRENA'S VOW, Dan Gordon's oft-engrossing screenplay-on-stage, is so effortless that it wouldn't surprise me if the Tony voters look over her because they don't see her "acting."
She's magnetic, she's incandescent and so on and so forth. And the rest of the ensemble is, as well, especially Thomas Ryan as Major Rugemer.
But the play isn't much of a play. It's a movie that's being acted out on stage. You can almost even write it yourself.
"INT. High School - Day
The intimidating school bell rings. IRENA GUT OPDYKE slowly enters, looks out into the crowd, sizes it up. Begins to speak, unleashing a slew of memories."
It's a flashback, narrated by Irena through direct-address, and that's fine. But it's like watching your standard Holocaust movie. Only this time, the outcome is hopeful. It certainly is moving, even more so with the Q&A with Irena's daughter afterwards (they should keep that going), but ultimately, we've seen this story of the Good Gentile before. There's no new ground covered.
Bottom Line: Feldshuh shines, as usual, in hopeful Holocaust story. Better movie than a play.
She's magnetic, she's incandescent and so on and so forth. And the rest of the ensemble is, as well, especially Thomas Ryan as Major Rugemer.
But the play isn't much of a play. It's a movie that's being acted out on stage. You can almost even write it yourself.
"INT. High School - Day
The intimidating school bell rings. IRENA GUT OPDYKE slowly enters, looks out into the crowd, sizes it up. Begins to speak, unleashing a slew of memories."
It's a flashback, narrated by Irena through direct-address, and that's fine. But it's like watching your standard Holocaust movie. Only this time, the outcome is hopeful. It certainly is moving, even more so with the Q&A with Irena's daughter afterwards (they should keep that going), but ultimately, we've seen this story of the Good Gentile before. There's no new ground covered.
Bottom Line: Feldshuh shines, as usual, in hopeful Holocaust story. Better movie than a play.
