By Eva Trieger
SOLANA BEACH, California — It is wonderful to see how resilient and innovative our San Diego area theaters are, and North Coast Repertory Theater is a testament to the old adage, “the show must go on.” Under the direction of David Ellenstein with co-writer Marc Silver, audiences were invited to attend the one-man show, Einstein Comes Through, portrayed by Jake Broder.
Viewers watched from the comfort of their homes while NCRT streamed the one-act play on Showtix4U.com. A full theatrical production was delivered with sets by award-winning Marty Burnett (who has now completed over 200 sets for the theater), costumes by Elisa Benzoni, Prop Design by Philip Korth, and Wig by Peter Herman. Stage manager/Cinematographer Aaron Rumley filmed the approximately 60-minute program.
Einstein Comes Through enjoyed its debut in 2005, and relates the story of Hank (Jake Broder) an average Joe, with a knack for a spot-on impersonation of Albert Einstein, whom he alternately idolizes and attacks. Hank, it seems, teaches children about the vast world of science by engaging them, dressed as the Nobel Laureate. His German accent is precise and utterly believable. Despite this shining arena of Hank’s life, he is morose, defeated, and appears suicidal, wanting to leave this world, following the accidental death of his young son, Tommy. We learn this through his imagined conversations with “Albert” whose near life-size photo taunts him from the wall. Holding down both sides of the conversation, the character appears manic and desperate.
While I wanted to love the play, I couldn’t. I found the barrage of Jewish jokes hackneyed and didn’t really understand the interruption or pacing. Broder was expressive and managed to embody both characters, yet the feel was frenetic and ultimately unsatisfying. One comic line did stand out and that was when Einstein said his hair defied gravity. Cute!
Artistic Director Ellenstein has a miles-long CV and has acted and directed so many fabulous shows on North Coast’s stage and all over the world, including a stint on a cruise ship, a story in itself. As a season subscriber for 20+ years I nearly always love the shows Ellenstein picks for each unique and brilliant season. Here’s looking forward to the next offering, Becoming Dr. Ruth.
Not to give any spoiler alerts, but Becoming Dr. Ruth will feature Broadway star, Tovah Feldshuh. This dynamo has earned four Tony Award nominations as well as two Emmy Award nominations for Holocaust and Law & Order. She’s been in many films and television shows and brings her insights and sensibilities to this play, exploring the role of everyone’s favorite self-proclaimed sex therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
Einstein Comes Through will stream on-demand from April 28-May 23, 2021. Tickets are $35-54 and can be purchased at northcoastrep.org.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com