Leah, the Forsaken

See it if You are comfortable with dated themes and serious melodrama or if you like Shakespearean type misadventures

Don't see it if You are looking for a romp ( this is way too serious for that ) or if you get irritated with moralizing

Also The play challenges antisemitism and plot involves violent prejudice pointed at Jews. My companion was offended by what she saw as baked in Jewish stereotypes & patronizing self righteousness voiced by some of the Christian characters. I saw this differently and thought that the playwright was mocking some of the fickle and self-satisfied Christian characters.

Although the play is quite dated the theme of fear of the stranger certainly resonates in today's political environment. I think the production would have been stronger and more entertaining if the company had taken more liberties & made a critique of Trumpism explicit.

I very much enjoyed the zeal that the lead brought to her insanely melodramatic role but my companion found her performance annoying and distracting.

Overall the play is a bit long, in part because the plot requires a lot of set up so that we can understand the various characters entanglements and motivations.

The large ensemble cast keeps it moving... Read more Read less

See it if For the solid acting, great sets and costumes. There's never a dull moment in this melodrama but ....

Don't see it if The Jews in this play make the Merchant of Venice look like a sympathetic character. Maybe this was considered forward thinking in its day?

Also Two Jewish characters who are both willing to turn their backs on their religion - one for riches, one for the love of a guy she just met. Hmmm. The play's very evil villain is Jewish and the only other Jewish character is kind of Fatal Attraction scary. The two young Christian leads are beyond perfect - a young, attractive Mother Theresa and Gandhi style couple. Hmm. This is an indictment of anti-semitism?... Read more Read less

See it if interested in an historic 1862 American theatre curiosity and in an unsettling evocation of bigotry which resonates w/current events.

Don't see it if tough stuff to make the overheated melodrama convincing and neither the director nor several of the leads were up to it.

See it if It Is for those who like stories with real historical settings and human drama.

Don't see it if You're uncomfortable with subjects of prejudice & disparaging racial/religious dialogue that is used to portray realistic historical setting

Also This is a well done classy English adaptation play based on "Deborah" by German writer Salomon Mosenthal. It is a story with true historical setting of mid 1800's Europe entrenched with intolerant attitude and inhumane policies against Jews & treat them as fearful outsiders by segregating them harshly. This sets the stage for the play.

The story involves an Austrian
young man & a Jewish girl in ill fated love destroyed by an evil teacher who instigates existing ignorant discriminations for his own end. Young man marries his kind childhood friend & is cursed by the wronged Jewish girl. Then questions of redemption play out.

Small stage cleverly turned into rural Austria with wall paintings & good lighting & sound design. Costumes design 5 stars!

Acting stellar from all but Ms. Gibson was wrongly casted for Leah. She's too robust for a starving refugee. She is overly melodramatic on a different plane while cast was realistic. She has passion but lacks femininity to elicit tears.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a well-acted drama in an intimate space.

Don't see it if you want a light, entertaining show.

See it if You want to see how melodrama of the 19c may have looked and sounded; and you relish diva roles (Bernhardt and many others took on Leah)

Don't see it if You can't get past the very big acting style of high melodrama. Or you feel nauseous at seeing Austrian anti-semitism enacted.

Also This piece evokes a NYC of the Draft Riots, on the brink of Civil War, when bigots & anti-immigrant racists were running wild, and black people were being murdered in the streets. Reviewers point out its timeliness in an age of Bannon/Trump, but I also felt its message (which passed for broad-mindedness in 1862) is that Jews are human as long as they model their saintliness on Christly Gentiles, and reject their anger, their desires and their own people. Very disturbing play.... Read more Read less