Chicago playwright James Sherman's play, The God of Isaac, is a wonderfully produced comedy playing at the Pico Playhouse in West Los Angeles, directed by Darin Anthony.  With an unusual twist, the audience sometimes feels as if they are watching something other than a staged production.  And, I might add, that though it is very funny, there are some serious issues brought forth in the plot.

When Adam Korson (Isaac Adams) first comes on stage, he welcomes the audience and gives the usual instructions regarding cell phones, etc. and prominent exits from the theater.  As he continues speaking, he is interrupted by a woman in the audience.  Before we get too concerned, it turns out as the dialogue continues between the two, that this is the beginning of the play and the beginning of Isaac being "nudged" by his Mother (Karen Kalensky) throughout the play!

Isaac is a young Jewish American journalist living in Chicago.  He has written a play about himself and he is playing himself on stage.  This may sound confusing, but as you watch the play, it works.  The story goes thus:  Adam has never been religious although he was Bar Mitzvahed, after which he grew away from his religion.  For a time, he dated Chaya (Jennifer Flaks listed as Actress I), but Chaya married an Orthodox Jew and Isaac married a non-Jewish model, Shelly (Corryn Cummins (Actress II), with whom he is crazy in love.

The time is 1978, and the neo-Nazis are planning a march in the mainly Jewish outskirts of Skokie where many Holocaust survivors and their families live.  This event gives Isaac the impetus to realize who he really is.  He begins to take more interest in his ancestry, Jewish history and culture, and even the religion itself.  Though he is very much in love with Shelly, she is not interested at all in his being Jewish and what is happening in his life is affecting his relationship with her.  Fortunately, Isaac and Chaya have remained close friends, and he is able to communicate with her to vent his problems and she, as well, with him.  All the while that Isaac is trying to work on the play, his mother interrupts with her comments, a real Jewish Mother!  As he finally finishes the play, the audience learns how the lives of Isaac, Shelly and Chaya are resolved.  And believe it or not, Mother is happy with the ending.

Other featured performers in the play are Peter Van Norden as Actor I and Jason Weiss as Actor II.  The God of Isaac plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM, through November 24, at the Pico Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles.  Herb Isaacs will perform the role of Actor 1 from November 17 through November 27.

For further information, call (323) 860-6620.  Online ticketing is available at www.westcoastjewishtheatre.org .  

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