Alex Edelman has been doing stand-up since he was a teenager and honing this show since 2018. Charisma comes in all kinds of packaging. A slight, thirty-something, pointedly Jewish man with bangs in his eyes, the artist is, to say the least, unexpected. He lopes, leaps, gestures and mimes his way around an empty stage conjuring a full cast of characters. Timing is impeccable; direction superb.
Edelman prefaces this evening by sharing that he’s “profoundly and emphatically Jewish. It’s a huge part of my background and the way I see the world.” This doesn’t mean only those of the faith will relate, but adds a cherry on top with familiarity.
Admittedly an apolitical writer, he was concocting comedy shows for the BBC when told by a friend that entertainers have social responsibility. Whoops. A tweet arrived just as he considered the issue. The writer objected that Edelman is Jewish. “I make a mistake and respond.” Their ensuing conversation provoked “an avalanche of anti-Semitism.”
Generally people on Twitter follow an interest list and check it occasionally. “I thought, 1. Let THEM be on a list for once and 2. These guys get an alert when added to a list.” Edelman puts every bigoted name on an index he titles Jewish National Fund Contributors. When apoplectic strangers tweet they never signed up, he responds, “There’s still time.” One night, he sees a tweet that says, If you live in New York city and have questions about your Whiteness, come to this Queens address tomorrow night.
“As an Ashkenazi Jew, I do have questions about my Whiteness,” he sincerely reflects. The main story concerns a proud Jew initially incognito in a room of White Supremacists. He crushes on a girl about whom he fantasizes despite pivotal differences, listens to ironic conversation about the Royal Wedding and Jared Kushner, and deftly sidesteps exposure by responding to the group’s difficulty in garnering new members on social media with a lecture on the Median Content Algorithm.
We hear Edelman’s childhood interpretation of what Jewish means, about being repeatedly tested for autism and ADHD, brother A.J.’s ignominious Israeli Olympic status, the one year his Orthodox family celebrated Christmas – there were stockings with their names in Hebrew; his surprised father stood up to the Rabbi. (This part is a highlight.) The performer describes dynamics within the Queens group, admits to White privilege, and is unmasked.
I hesitate to compare this show to that of the fabulous Mike Birbiglia, but these are the only two instances I’ve found myself laughing with tears in my eyes. GO. We can all benefit from this kind of smart humor and exiting theater with a grin.
Photos by Matthew Murphy
Alex Edelman – Just For Us
Written and Performed by Alex Edelman
Directed by Adam Brace
Hudson Theatre
141 West 44th Street
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