Theater Thursday - Goldie, Max and Milk and The Lucky Star

We were given complimentary tickets to Goldie, Max and Milk for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Goldie, Max, and Milk

Where: 59E59 Theatres 

             59 E. 59 St. 

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through June 4, 2022

Max, a single lesbian with a newborn baby has trouble nursing so she hires Goldie, an Orthodox Jewish lactation consultant. The cultural clash alone sounds like the makings of a very funny show, and it is a very  amusing show. However, this is show is no laughfest. It has a suprisingly serious side as well. These woman don't really bond so much as reach a kind of unspoken understanding because of their children. In the future, Goldie will need Max's help on behalf of her child even more than Max needs Goldie's on behalf of hers now. 

In the beginning it seems like Max is the one who is trapped. She is jobless and alone in rundown apartment with a baby. However, in reality it is Goldie who is more trapped. She is trapped by the weight of tradition and expectations. Max has the freedom to change her life, and Goldie doesn't. This doesn't mean that Goldie has any intention of giving up everything she's ever known and becoming a different person nor does she want to. However, she does come to know the bonds of traditions and how much of a sacrifice it can be to unwaverlingly stick to them. 

The cast does a good job with their roles particularly, Lauren Molina, who does a terrific job portraying Goldie. Her posture is very rigid as if the weight of all those traditions she is upholding are bearing down on her. Her line delivery is very brisk as if she is constantly keeping herself in check. However, you can see all of her emotions in her face particularly with regard to her daughter.

This is not an appropriate show for children due to subject matter because for one thing much of the plot revolves around drugs: drug dealing, drug stealing, drug overdosing etc. It is not a good play for anyone who is antigay, antisemtic, or misognistic either. However, if you are not any of those things, you may enjoy it.

For more about Goldie, Max, and Milk or to purchase tickets, visit www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/goldie-max-and-milk.

XXX

We were given complimentary tickets to The Lucky Star for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The Lucky Star

Where: 59E59 Theatres

             59 E. 59 St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through June 12, 2022

The Lucky Star was written by the same playwright who wrote Goldie, Max and Milk, Karen Hartman. However, this is a much more serious play and although there may be a moment or two of humor within it, it definitely is not as humorous as the previous play. The Lucky Star is about a Polish Jewish family who decline their opportunity to escape Nazi occupied Poland during the early stages of World War II and end up trapped there. Only one member of the family and his wife left the country when he had the chance although that does not nececessarily mean that he had an easy time of it because other countries  including the United States didn't just welcome them with open arms. 

The play is the true story of the family of Richard Hollander and based on the correspondence between Richard's father, the family member who escaped, and the family back in Poland.  Although his father never really spoke about the time period, after he died, Richard founded a treasure trove of letters in his father's attic. They were originally published in book form in a book entitled Every Day Lasts a Year, and now they form the basis for this play as well.

The story is heartbreaking not only in the usual ways but in other ways too, You would think getting out of a Nazi occupied country would be the hard part, and it would be much smoother sailing after that. However, as previously mentioned that was not necessarily the case. The action alternates between Richard and his son in the present day and the family during World War II and shows even for a generation removed from the horror of what happened then, it's not always easy to process, remember and/or speak about. 

This is another show that is not good for children due to the subject matter. However, if you are not afraid of shows that deal with inherently sad subject matter particularly with regard to the holocaus, you may want to see this poignant play. 

For more about The Lucky Star or to purchase tickets, visit www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/the-lucky-star.

And that's our view. Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All production photos from both shows by Carol Rosegg