Which do you put first – your family or your principles?
The Value of Names at the White Bear is a though-provoking new play by Jewish American playwright Jeffrey Sweet
The Value of Names is a play that makes you think – to question yourself and ask, what would I do in the situation? A play about loyalty and love, it is written and directed by award-winning Jewish American playwright Jeffrey Sweet.
Set in Hollywood in 1983, Jewish actress Norma wants to change her surname from Silverman to Titel. Her actor father Benny objects – believing that his daughter is doing this because she does not want to sound Jewish. But, as Norma reveals, being Jewish is not the reason – it is because of her father’s past.
The Value of Names is set against a background of McCarthyism. It asks the question: when is it time to forgive and forget? What is more important, the past or the present? And which do you put first, your family or your principles?
The 90-minute long play stars Jewish actor Jeremy Kareken in the role of Benny. Jeremy divides his time between London and New York and co-wrote the Broadway play The Lifespan of a Fact starring Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe. Alaskan-born Katherine Lyle plays his daughter Norma and Tim Hardy plays Leo a fellow thespian from Benny’s past.
Jeffrey Sweet is becoming something of a fixture at the White Bear Theatre. His play Kunstler had its European premiere last year winning an award nomination. Now he has returned to the White Bear to direct his play The Value of Names for its European premiere.
“I decided to write the play back in 1981,” says Jeffrey. “Being in the theatre world I knew of people facing the dilemma of what to you do if you are asked to work with someone with whom you have a problem. If someone has done something unforgiveable, do you look past this and work with them?”
Although the play was written four decades ago Jeremy feels it has a resonance in American politics today.
Jeffrey is a playwright who celebrates his Jewishness and the play features the cutting sarcastic barbs and witty asides typifying American Jewish intellect and humour.
When the play debuted, The Times billed it as a “moral comedy in the best American liberal tradition”, adding: “Mr Sweet has a devastating command of combative Jewish wit.” An accomplished playwright, he has written about theatre – What Playwrights Talk about When they Talk about Writing, a bible for drama students – and has won many awards for his theatre and television writing.
The Value of Names runs until 1 March at the White Bear Theatre. whitebeartheatre.co.uk
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