Perhaps my strong pro-Israel, pro-Zionist bias predisposes me to like William Gibson's drama on the life of Israel's most beloved Prime Minister. But political leanings aside, Gibson has crafted one of the more tautly constructed and dramatic solos in recent memory. Yes, like most monologues about famous people, the elderly Golda Meir (played by the estimable Tovah Feldshuh) looks back and speaks in retrospect. What adds fire to Golda's Balcony is that the protagonist spends much of the brief play nailed to the worst day of her life -- one that nearly saw the destruction of her beloved country. That she so effectively used power politics and the threat of weapons of mass destruction to outmaneuver Nixon, Kissinger and the entire Arab world, adds a further layer of current-events relevance to this gripping piece. Add 1/4* if they tone down the convincing but offensively thunderous sound design for Broadway.
