New Rep's "Two Jews": Bah-dah-ping!

Joel Colodner & Jeremiah Kissel in "Two Jews Walk into a War"
(photo: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures)
 

Two Jews Walk into a War, a ninety minute intermissionless two-hander, is the last offering of the season by New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. Self-described as “vaudeville-inspired”, this production features three of our finest local actors, two on stage and one at the helm. The last is Will LeBow, who directs Joel Colodner and Jeremiah Kissel in this work written by playwright Seth Rozin. They portray a staple of vaudevillian days, the comic duo (think Abbott and Costello, or perhaps more appropriately, the team of Polish Jews, Weber and Fields). The play (if one can call it that) was given its regional premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre a decade ago. It's more of a series of vignettes utilizing black-outs and even the ping of bullets in lieu of a drum roll.
 

Joel Colodner & Jeremiah Kissel in "Two Jews Walk into a War"
(photo: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures)

Ishaq (Colodner) and Zeblyan (Kissel) are the last remaining Jews in Kabul, Afghanistan in the final days of the Taliban regime, in what remains of a chapel in the only synagogue not fully destroyed. They both share a mission to repopulate their community, but there's a hitch: they hate each other, with a passion (we never learn the source of this antipathy, which is problematical). Still, they must create a Torah (the Jewish code of laws), from memory, to entice rabbis to lead their proposed flock. Ishaq states: “I dream of being a tolerated minority,” while Zeblyan notes that the Torah leaves out many a prohibition against women or lesbians (with a politically incorrect allusion to “fruitcake” in the case of the latter). Much of their discussion centers around sex, some of it out of character (Ishaq again: “Thou shalt not wank is not one of the commandments”). Fortunately, these two actors have impeccable timing with respect to their verbal delivery and facial expressions. 

 

The Set and Cast of "Two Jews Walk into a War"
(photo: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures)

On the creative side, the complex and evocative Set Design is by Jon Savage, with excellent Costume Design by Nancy Leary, dramatic Lighting Design by Karen Perlow, and apt Sound Design by Lee Schuna (with music consultation by Hankus Netsky, represented in performance by Grant Smith on percussion and Neema Jan on the Oud).

Though it's not a requirement, it nonetheless helps to be Jewish, with a certain tolerance for the sort of Catskills skits of yore and burlesque-era jokes . (Example: “why don't we advertise?”). Then and now, timing is what it's all about. Fortunately this talented cast of two know the ropes, as does their director LeBow, and they manage to resuscitate burlesque, at least for an hour and a half. If you like this sort of thing, you will like this sort of thing.

And, by the way, who's on first?