Playhouse on Park, West Hartford, CT
through May 12, 2019
by Barbara Stroup
Although his name secures him to a family and its legacy,
and although his parents dote on him, Asher Lev (the child) is confused. He
seems to have been born with a pencil in his hand and feels compelled to draw,
but his Hasidic parents have other plans for his free time. Parental
expectations conflict with his need for self-expression-which is as real as
hunger-and it is this drive that characterizes his childhood.
 |
| Photo by Meredith Longo |
Narrated directly to the audience as a memoir by the title
character (played winningly by Jordan Sobel), we see the continuing artistic
search for self-definition and identity. Asher struggles not only with parental
authority and filial obedience, but also with the conflict between creative
expression and orthodoxy, between art and inherited cultural paradigms. “How
could lines on a paper help anything?” he asks, as he continues drawing. He
learns, he progresses, and his ability becomes obvious to a well-chosen mentor,
but during it all he carries the weight of parental disapproval and conflict.
Staged sparingly, the three Playhouse on Park actors
effectively manage both their changing roles and choreographed set changes. On
stage throughout the 90-minute play, Jordan Sobel has a challenging role. The
actor captures the character’s certainty about his destiny as well as his need
to resist his father’s autocracy, without overplaying the latter. Dan Shor
plays Asher’s father as well as a variety of other male characters with
convincing alacrity. The beautifully expressive Stefanie Londino embodies the suffering
that only a mother could have as she watches these two in conflict. There is no
doubt of her immense love for her son. Londino also reappears in dramatically
different smaller parts, handling each without a hint of the others. (The
costume department went a little overboard with a flared taffeta dress that
seemed momentarily to engulf the stage).
A lighting effect in the play’s conclusive scene creates
gasps for its effectiveness, and the play’s resolution lets Asher find his
identity and continue his art. With a will and a genius like his, there was
little doubt about the choices he would make for his journey through life. “My
Name is Asher Lev” is a well-written play, and works well in the context of
theatre-in-the-round. Playhouse on Park continues to choose pieces that provoke
us to contemplate important issues even after we leave the theatre.
