PLAY REVIEW Story of 3 sisters an intellectual work of art

Every detail of the production is essential to understanding its point.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
As is often the case, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. "The Sisters Rosensweig," now playing at The Oakland, is a fine example of a work of art that challenges.
No mindless entertainment here. This play is complex, thought provoking, intellectual. The actors are challenged to depict multifaceted characters, who seem to the world to have it all, while they struggle with the most basic human emotions: love, acceptance, fear, confusion and a search for rightful identity.
The audience is also challenged to move to the deepest level of attentiveness, because every minute detail, every word, every nuance, is essential to the point of the story. The entire cast and crew, under the skillful direction of L. J. "Tess" Tessier, rose to the occasion, and the audience left the theater with a feeling of accomplishment. This play is a smashing success.
Tessier did a marvelous job in choosing her cast. It is as if she was holding an artist's palette and carefully dabbed the colors onto a canvas, making sure that each worked in harmony with the others. The stage setting is also a work of art, and the costumes are fabulous.
Main characters
The story is about three Jewish sisters who meet in the London house of the eldest, Sara Goode, (Linda Chiccarino-Metts) to celebrate her 54th birthday. She is a wealthy, successful British banker, coldhearted and stubborn, yet lonely and vulnerable. The other characters love her and resent her, and look to her as the one with all the answers.
The middle sister, Gorgeous Teitelbaum (Geri Dewitt-Tichnor), lives in Newton, Mass., with her attorney husband, where she is known as the radio talk show host "Dr. Gorgeous." She presents a picture of complete fulfillment and can't understand why the others haven't followed her example. To her, life is "funsie," and her life dream is to own an expensive pair of designer shoes.
The youngest sister, Pfeni Rosensweig (Ellen Licitra), also of London, is a travel writer, a sympathizer of the plight of the oppressed all over the world. She has dreams but never seems to fulfill them and lacks a sense of direction. She uses her career as an excuse to run from making a commitment and struggles in her strained relationship with Geoffrey Duncan, a successful stage director.
Other personalities
Tom O'Donnell, as the bisexual Geoffrey, spices up the stage with his humorous antics, uninhibited craziness and fiery energy. He says, "Love is love; gender is merely spare parts." But in the end, he, too, realizes that he must change his direction and move toward greater authenticity.
Sara's daughter, Tess (Brooke Slanina), and her boyfriend, Tom (Jonathan Emerson), are political activists. This play was written at the fall of the Soviet Union, so much of the dialogue is based on issues pertaining to that event, particularly as it relates to Jewish people. The more you know about this period in history, the more you will appreciate the play.
Sara has somewhat of a surface relationship with the rather bland Nicholas Pym (Harold Davis), who is described as "representing everything that is wrong with this country" (England). However, the entrance of the forthright Mervin Kant (C. Richard Haldi), who Sara thinks is "too Jewish," like her sister, Gorgeous, dislodges her rigid ways. He is perhaps the most genuine of all the characters and works her over at an emotional level that she finds exciting yet terrifying.
During the course of the play, the audience sees these people transform as they all search for the meaning of life and the role in which they play. The story ends, not with a conclusion, but a new beginning.
XThe play runs Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m., through Oct. 22. There is one matinee, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. (330) 746-0404.