Radio Days

Turns out we have someone to blame for the high number of court shows that dominate the afternoon-television lineup, and surprisingly enough, he never worked for NBC, CBS, or ABC. His name is Rabbi Rubin, and his court show aired on Yiddish radio in the 1930's and 40's. His court, though, was not exactly legit. Responding to the needs of the Jewish community in New York's Lower East Side, Rabbi Rubin's House of Sages (a place he created for retired rabbis to study and pray) formed its own private court system to settle disputes for people who were too poor or unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the real justice system. The service was free, but there was one catch

Balkan Memories

Name Day, Jovanka Bach's moving portrait of two Serbian families living in the United States, is a lesson in how not to deal with the past. The play focuses on two women, one of whom is incapable of living in the present because she is so obsessed with a moment in time that can never be changed, and another who has spent her entire life trying to forget that exact same moment. Mikel Sarah Lambert stars as Kara Mitor, a Serbian who, with her husband Velko, immigrated to California after World War II. The Mitors have one son, Michael, who at the beginning of the play announces to his parents that he is engaged. It turns out that his fianc

The Incredible Journey

O Canada, the new home and native land for all things artistic. First we became dependent on you for our movies (funny how much Toronto looks like New York and L.A.), then our music (Montreal, where were you during the boy band era?), and now you increase our dependency by offering up great theater. Do you happen to have any cheap oil up there as well? Pith!, an adventurous tale about letting go, comes to us from Edmonton, Alberta, which, judging by the stellar cast and script, may very well be the next hotbed for the dramatic arts. Expertly written by Stewart Lemoine, Pith! follows Jack Vail, a traveling sailor who drops anchor in Providence, R.I., just long enough to help a grieving widow come to terms with the fact that her missing husband will never return.

Jack's form of therapy is not recommended for the faint of heart. Travel is a must, and dangerous situations

Southern Gothic Solo

Angela Forrest is a great performer. She is funny, expressive, and, at times, even captivating. In her one-woman show, Profile of a Saint, she portrays 10 characters and never leaves the audience guessing who is who. When she is in character

Bringing Down the House of Mirth

Edith Wharton

On the Sweet Side

One-man shows are the bastard children of the theater world. With choice topics like cancer, divorce, stillborn babies, and the difficulties of dating when you are a 30-something Jewish woman, this is not surprising. My friends would rather stay home and watch America