God and the Catskills

Fanny Shwartz
Special to the Mirror

   The Catskills conjure up a particular place and time. Playwright Murray Mednick, who knows the area first hand, goes back to 1948 in “Fedunn,” and presents a hotel scene vibrant with the turmoil of a family and a clientele still feeling the pangs of deliverance from the Holocaust. Haunted by memories and attempting to come to terms with the present, they bicker, balk and brood.
   The play opens with a large cast setting a bustling scene at the Royal Manor. The frantic owners, the disgruntled waiters and busboys, and a few related hangers-on occupy the dining area. Shouting and eating are the principal activities. The Silverman brothers, Pinnie (Joel Polis), the loudmouth, and Ray (Mickael Pasternak), the conciliator, are awaiting the arrival of Leon (William Bumiller), the successful third sibling who has made it in the movie industry. All are concerned about the fate of the floundering hotel.
   In addition, Ray is disconsolate about his dying wife, Tali (Maia Danziger) who is tormented by the demons who overtook her in the death camps and the loss of a child. Gina (Bari Hochwald), Tali’s niece, beautiful and sexy, arrives to comfort her aunt. She, too, is a victim of German atrocities. Observing all this, Eli (Matt Gottlieb) tries to locate the source of such inhumanity. Why would God create plagues for mankind? His wife, Rosie (Dinah Lenney) dismisses both God and her husband’s questioning.
   Hovering mysteriously around the fractious group, a young Ukrainian goy, Fedunn (Zoltan), becomes target of their multiple miseries and complaints. He delivers milk locally and has been caught visiting Tali, and possibly stealing. His aryan features ignite the wrath of the guests and they seek revenge. A sadistic scene ensues that is provocative and chilling. Although Fedunn appears on stage infrequently, his presence is keenly felt. He is symbolic of some terrible foreboding.
   Mednick has created a complicated and busy structure that, while interesting, diffuses the focus of the play. We learn, for example that Al (Travis Michael Holder) loves Tali and helped her escape to America. Her subsequent marriage to Ray left him desolate. There are other sub-plots and snippets that ripple through the play, reminiscent of current television fare.
   Fortunately, the acting in Judy Arnold’s production is top notch, as is Mitchell Ryan’s directing. Essentially, Mednick, who is concerned with the role of God in times of devastation, focuses on two major concerns. One is Eli’s perplexity about God’s revelation. The other is the issue of revenge against a purported enemy. These disturbing and timely questions reverberate throughout the play.
   The set by Gary Randall and Rand Ryann’s lighting enhance the action. Hugh Levick’s original score sets the tone for the play. A short overture, a mournful, pensive melody, leads into a mellow and lilting theme signaling what’s to come. While the costumes adhere to the period, I was a little disappointed at the seamless stockings and missed the somewhat crooked seams that prevailed at the time.
   “Fedunn,” Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. West L.A., Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. Ends Oct. 27. $25. (310) 477-2055.