Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Theater J mounts a solidly-acted revival of Wendy Wasserstein’s THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG

• By drediman
• January 22, 2016
• No Comments

Last night in Washington, DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, I attended a solidly acted revival of Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosensweig at Theater J. Although the play, about the reunion of three middle aged Jewish sisters in London, is written in a Chekhov-lite mode that keeps the mood mostly less than serious (at least on the surface of things), it’s a tough one to get right. The Sisters Rosensweig is a long play (it clocks in at nearly three hours) with a first act that seems to go on and on, and Ms. Wasserstein’s at times patronizing dialogue is laced with upper middle class references that border on pretentious. Indeed, in the wrong hands, the play could be a long slog. However, there is also great warmth and humor in it – the key is finding the humanity in each of the sharply drawn characters.

Luckily, Theater J’s production, confidently directed by Kasi Campbell, features a set of beautifully grounded performances that manage to gloss over any imperfections in the play. In particular, Kimberly Schraf’s performance as the tightly wound Sara is especially noteworthy. Her character is the glue that holds the play together, and Ms. Schraf admirably navigates Sara’s tricky relationships with her sisters with clarity and honesty. Additionally, I’d also like to praise the production’s richly-appointed set (designed by James Bouchard), which sets the scene perfectly.

RECOMMENDED

THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG
Play, Regional (Washington, DC)
Theater J
2 hours, 45 minutes (including one intermission)
Through February 21