NEW YORK—Mike Leigh is a renowned filmmaker, his works including the marvelous, prize-winning Topsy-Turvy and Vera Drake. He has also written more than 20 stage plays, perhaps most notably, Abigail's Party, and Ecstasy, both seen in New York in prior seasons.
However, in Two Thousand Years Leigh seems to have clung to his filmmaking techniques, as evidenced by several terse, episodic scenes, particularly at the start. Leigh offers a very realistic slice of life, with a well-off Jewish family, headed by Danny who is a dentist (Richard Masur), and his wife Rachel (Laura Esterman) suffering what to them is an unpleasant event of major importance: Their son Josh (Jordan Gelber) has decided to embrace Jewish orthodoxy. Heretofore the entire family has been Conservative.
Just why this event is of such import escapes me, frankly, but they do go on about it, engaging in several shouting matches. Dave (Merwin Goldsmith), Rachel's crotchety father, later appears and kvetches about how difficult his life is and then leads the family into lengthy discussions on Middle Eastern politics: Israel vs. Palestine, life in a kibbutz, etc.
Leavening matters is the slightly bohemian but charming daughter of the house, Tammy (played winningly by Nathasha Lyonne), who takes everything in stride. When Tammy later brings home her boyfriend Tzachi (a nice performance by Yuval Boim), the couple introduces a little lovey-dovey horseplay into things.
The unexpected arrival of Rachel's estranged sister Michelle (Cindy Katz) causes things to ignite. Michelle is really a bit of a pain; self-centered, and pompous, but from a theatrical point of view she injects contrast and interest into the proceedings.
Jonathan (David Cale), a nearby neighbor, stops by a couple of times and offers homegrown vegetables and good cheer.
Now, these people are all fun to see. Even with the negativity that often emanates from the stage, Two Thousand Years is a pleasant way to spend an evening. Director Scott Elliott's skill infuses the proceedings with energy and plenty of laughs. The actors are all excellent. In fact, as with so many shows in New York, the actors help create a show where there wasn't much of a play.
That is my major quibble. The play begins as a slice of life and ends so. There's no character growth; little change of life plans. We've had a peek into a pleasant North London home (nicely created by set designer Derek McLane). That's fine as far as it goes, but is it enough?
The theater was full; folks seemed to be enjoying themselves, but is it possible that television and film have made audiences less discerning about what to expect, or demand, in the theater?
Two Thousand Years
Acorn Theater,
410 West 42 Street
Tickets: (212) 279-4200
A production of The New Group
Closes: March 8, 2008
Diana Barth writes and publishes New Millennium, an arts newsletter.
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