By Marilyn Jozwik
Even though it’s 1991 and the two main characters are 18-year-old Orthodox Jews in NYC, there is something very timeless and universal about “Trayf,” now being presented at the Next Act Theatre. Elyse Edelman directs.
In “Trayf” (a Yiddish word meaning “forbidden” or “unkosher”), playwright Lindsay Joelle presents Zalmy (A.J. Magoon) and Shmuel (Alex Mitchell), who have taken up the banner of a popular rabbi known as Rebbe. While the trend with post-Holocaust Jews is to become assimilated, Rebbe’s message is quite the opposite, encouraging his followers to embrace their culture and reignite the spark of their Jewish souls.
With youthful exuberance and hope, Zalmy and Shmuel go all out on their mission to light up Jewish souls. They are two teenagers off on the adventure of a lifetime. They rent an RV – that they dub “Mitzvah Tank.” They believe the Messiah may be coming soon and that performing mitzvahs – good deeds – could hasten his arrival.
Shmuel (Alex Mitchell) and Zalmy (A.J. Magoon) spot Jonathan (Lucas Prizant) on the streets of New York and decide to to take him on as a project and help him connect with his Jewish roots in a scene from Next Act Theatre’s “Trayf.” Photos by Michael Brosilow
On the RV is a banner that reads: “Zalmy and Shmuel’s Mitzvahs on the Spot, For People on the Go.” Their plan is to find Jews on the streets of New York who have neglected their Judaism and lead them back to the fold. They want “Jews to fall in love with being Jewish,” says Shmuel.
What makes this show so engaging, so funny, so thoughtful is Joelle’s expertly drawn characters and Magoon and Mitchell’s superb portrayals of Zalmy and Shmuel. They are, at heart, just kids, teenagers. As Orthodox Jews, their lives have been different from most teens. The strict rules they follow have kept them from experiencing much of what other kids do. Shmuel, in particular, plays by the book – the Torah, to be exact. When Zalmy mentions Elton John, Shmuel has no idea who he is talking about. Zalmy yearns for more freedom. He sneaks out at night just to ride with people of all kinds on the subway or to go to the theater. Shmuel is shocked, but promises not to tell Zalmy’s parents.
Their friendship is classic. They’ve known each other most of their lives and are joined at the hip, bound by their love of Judaism. Their conversations are sweet, genuine and touching, like their hilarious discussions about sex and Shmuel’s first date.
But the test of their friendship comes when they meet Jonathan (Lucas Prizant), who just found out, after his father’s death, that the father was Jewish. Since his mother was Catholic, Shmuel questions his Jewish soul.
Yet, the two friends decide to take Jonathan on as a project. Zalmy invites him to his home for Shabbat dinners, which soon becomes a habit. Zalmy is jealous of Jonathan’s freedoms – his many girlfriends, clothing options, musical interests, his job at a music store – while Jonathan yearns for the kind of closeness, values and religious traditions of Zalmy’s family. And Shmuel is jealous of Zalmy’s relationship with Jonathan, insisting, “He’s dragging you down.”
Zalmy (A.J. Magoon), foreground, finds his friendship with Shmuel (Alex Mitchell) is on thin ice in a scene from Next Act’s “Trayf.” Photos by Michael Brosilow
Zalmy starts testing boundaries of his faith, which threatens to derail his friendship with Shmuel. Their perfect friendship and the constancies in their lives are unraveling.
No one is happy, including Jonathan’s girlfriend, Leah (Rachael Zientek), who is angry at Jonathan’s new religious rituals. She decides to confront Shmuel, who tells her: “We have a saying in the community. ‘There is no love, only acts of love. Real love comes by doing.’”
Leah snaps back, “I know what it means to be Jewish … you learn that being Jewish is a liability.”
The question becomes, can Zalmy and Shmuel’s friendship survive the crisis? Will they continue their mission? Will Jonathan’s newfound faith get him a seat in the “Tank?”
It is a wild ride, but so worth the trip, with a most heart-warming and satisfying conclusion.
Magoon and Mitchell beautifully capture the innocence, the naivete, the passions of Zalmy and Shmuel, making them such layered and likeable relatable characters. Along with Prizant’s Jonathan and Zientek’s Leah, they capture so well what is at the heart of a friendship, what is at the heart of our faith, how fragile and important they are and just how hard it is to keep both.
The audience loved the show, with much laughter as well as appreciative applause after each scene. And, as always, Next Act leaves the audience with a lot to think about.
If you go:
Who: Next Act Theatre
What: “Trayf”
When: Through Oct. 4
Where: 255 S. Water St., Milwaukee
Info/Tickets: 414-278-0765; info@nextact.org
