January 15, 201313 yr Active Members This show plays in one of the most uncomfortable theaters in New York. They forgot to give audience members space for their legs and feet. And if you are 6'1, that's a problem. But once Asher Lev takes the stage, one forgets how uncomfortable he is and gets drawn into a fine performance. In a nutshell, Asher is a member of an Hasidic Jewish family, and he is also a talented artist. Sorry, Asher, but your religion does not approve of that. End of story, no? Well, of course not. Asher pursues his dreams. The show, based on a novel by Chaim Potok, is heartfelt if it is anything. Asher gets a tutor, interestingly played by the same actor who plays his father. He even paints nudes, a shock to his mother, who destroys them. But the play itself is about family, religion, and art. All are central to Asher's life. The young man who plays him, Ari Brand, is excellent, with much dialogue to remember. The supporting actors are fine too. The friends I saw the show with were very impressed. I was not unimpressed, but I tended to agree with the reviewer for the NY Times, who said: "For all its sturdy theatricality, though, “Asher Lev” remains stagebound. You may respect it, argue with it and enjoy it, without ever being transported by it."
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