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Play brings Jewish wry home to chew on
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
© St. Petersburg Times, The upcoming production at Richey Suncoast Theatre, Beau Jest, should not be confused with Percival Wren's 1924 soundalike novel, Beau Geste, which told of the cruelties endured by the French Foreign Legion at the hands of the Arabs. This Beau Jest is strictly for laughs. James Sherman's romantic comedy, set in modern times, has Sarah Goldman (Toni Marie Saperstein), a nice Jewish girl, at war with her parents because she is still single and is happy to be so. Abe and Mirium Goldman (John Masterson and Mollie Lutz) want Sarah to find a nice Jewish boy and settle down. They kvetch about the situation so much that poor Sarah finally tells them she's dating a Jewish doctor named David Steinberg. Of course, Abe and Sarah want to meet him as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Sarah's real boyfriend, Chris Kringle (Joe Borsh), is a WASP account executive and can't possibly pass himself off as the imaginary doctor. So Sarah calls an escort service to send her a date, specifically a Jewish doctor. Instead, the service sends Bob Schroeder (Sam Petricone), an out-of-work actor who agrees to impersonate "Dr. Steinberg." No surprise, boyfriend Chris doesn't like the arrangement, especially when Sarah's brother Joel (Mark Minardi) pitches in his two cents' worth. The result is a series of mixups, sight gags and faux pas that all work out in the end. "This play is especially nice because it's really nice people who see how other religions do things," said Ms. Saperstein, who in real life married a Jewish doctor in May. "We all had to learn to speak some Hebrew," she said. "Mollie (Lutz) and John (Masterson) had to learn to speak Yiddish." Director Saul Leibner's wife helped the actors with their Hebrew and with their accents, Ms. Saperstein said. "I have my own coach at home." The cast and the director have extensive resumes in theater. Except for Borsh, most of their recent experience has been at Stage West Community Playhouse in Spring Hill. Leibner has won four HAMI Awards for direction at Stage West, including the comedy Rumors in the 1999-2000 season, Moon Over Buffalo (1998-99), Lost in Yonkers (1997) and Lend Me a Tenor (1995). Petricone, a former professional actor in major Hollywood and industrial films, won a HAMI for lead male in a play for The Day They Kidnapped the Pope last season and as lead male in Rumors in 1999-2000. Ms. Saperstein won a HAMI as lead female in Rumors, but under her birth name of Starling. Masterson has won several acting awards, including a HAMI for featured male in the musical Gypsy (1998-99) and a feature actor in a play for Lost in Yonkers (1996-97), as has Ms. Lutz, who was honored as featured female in a play for Come Blow Your Horn and as best supporting actress in a play for Lost in Yonkers (1996-97). Borsh has won acting honors at Richey Suncoast Theatre (Wizard of Oz, 1776), as well as at Stage West, where he picked up a HAMI for best set design for Man of La Mancha (1995-96). Borsh also played Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls at Show Palace Dinner Theatre several years ago. Critics have been generous in their praise of Beau Jest. "Very funny," wrote the Wall Street Journal. "But it's not an extended Jewish joke. The well-crafted play has a lot to say about nuclear families of any ethnic persuasion." "Hilarious and quite moving," said the Chicago Sun-Times. "Sherman wonderfully blends farce with a genuine insight." At a glanceWHAT: Beau Jest, a comedy WHERE: Richey Suncoast Theatre, 6237 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey WHEN: Thursday at 8 p.m. and weekends through Nov. 11. Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. TICKETS: $10, reserved seating. Box office is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and an hour before each show. Call (727) 842-6777.
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