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TheatreWorks' "Brooklyn Boy" at Lucie Stern

Original post made by Enoch Choi, Crescent Park, on Jul 26, 2006

Brooklyn Boy successfully brought me back to reminescing about my parents influence on my beliefs, behaviors and peculiarities. It shared the angst of family dynamics, pulling on your heartstrings without being saccharine. The situations transcended jewishness, without robbing me of the delight of seeing a glimpse of the intimacy afforded jewish customs. The show succeeds where the protagonist can't -- crafting a story beyond his experience, calling back to all of our own.

Here's what my wife thought of it:

One of the few things my husband and i still enjoy from our dating days is theatre. These days, we find ourselves catching last minute tickets at Theatreworks.
Today we scored. We got to watch Brooklyn Boy a hop skip and away from our house at Lucie Stern. It was one of those surreal nights when you know you're watching a New York caliber world-class play right in the suburbs of Palo Alto. We didn't have to line up for hours at Tix, we didn't have to get all dressed up, we were still snacking on dinner 5 minutes till curtain call, we sat down and watched a Pulitzer Prize winner's play.
It was excellent. The kind of play that makes you feel like you came out eating a 5 course dinner. The kind where the hours just flew by and you couldn't get enough. The kind where you didn't have to rely on eye-candy to get through the 2 hours. The kind where you didn't have to remind yourself why you go to the theatre -- to seem intelligent and cultured and smart. It was the kind of that left you resonating in so many places that you wouldn't have the courage to go on your own.
The actors were world class. You know because there was very little plot. No action. Simply amazing characterization and nuances so subtle that you would have to breathe to lose it.
It was such a treat to have front row seats. It would have been so different afar. The actors were incredibly talented. So well-played. i know because i ended up falling in love the lead protagonist which was a barely-balding guy in his 40s who was awkward and reserved and uptight. Somehow he came across endearing.
A brilliant portrayal of the complex tensions between father and son, class and race and a hilarious insight into Jewish culture.

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