Old-fashioned, schematic, but undeniably warm and funny, it’s the story of a nice Jewish girl who tries to fool her nosy jewish mother by hiring a male escort to play her perfect doctor/boyfriend.
Ultimately, author James Sherman relies on too many sitcom quick-fixes, but the family Sabbath and Seder scenes are gems of ethnic comedy. A revisit (Jan. 1993) to this goy-meets-girl hit shows the play hasn’t lost a single laugh or an ounce of charm. I used to compare Beau Jest to Come Blow Your Horn-era Neil Simon; now I think of it as a Seder -- something to visit annually for a renewal of ethnic joy and fellowship.
Images:
Opened:
October 10, 1991
Ended:
May 1, 1994
Country:
USA
State:
New York
City:
New York
Theater Type:
off-Broadway
Theater:
Lamb's Theater
Genre:
Comedy
Director:
Dennis Zacek
Review:
Critic:
David Lefkowitz
Date Reviewed:
January 1993