The word most commonly used to designate any non-kosher food is trayf (meaning torn) and includes foods that are not acceptable such as pork, fish that do not have scales and fins (like lobster or shrimp), and meals that combine meat and dairy products. A more modern definition might be something that does not fit in from what as customary, which is exactly what the West Coast premiere of TRAYF, written by Lindsay Hoelle and directed by Maggie Burrows at the Geffen Playhouse, addresses through a road-trip bromance that is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, faith, the universal suspicion that we don’t quite fit in, and friends that see us through even when they don’t agree with our choices.
Geffen’s Artistic Director Matt Shakman shares, “When I first read Lindsay Joelle’s TRAYF several years ago, I was taken with its odes to friendship and its exploration of how we find and create community. The heart of this piece leapt off the page. Now, after living through such a long period of being apart, the play’s focus on community and belonging resonates more than ever.”
TRAYF centers on two isolated teenage boys, raised in a Hasidic Jewish tight-knit community in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn. As a branch of Orthodox Judaism, living their lives in isolation of the outside secular world can either lead to too great a temptation to resist or so totally abhorrent the goal is to completely ignore it. Set in early 1991 when the boys have no easy access to the internet, the only way for them to find out about girls, sex and music is to either go out and experience it themselves or find others who can share their personal knowledge with them.
Zalmy (Ilan Eskenazi) lives a double life. By day he drives a Chabad “Mitzvah Tank” through New York City, performing good deeds with his best friend Shmuel (Ben Hirschhorn). By night, Zalmy sneaks out of his orthodox community to roller skate and listen to secular rock and roll music. But when Jonathan (Garrett Young), a curious outsider who works at the local record store, creates mixtapes for Zalmy to open his eyes to the modern world, how will his friend Schmuel react? Is it worth jeopardizing everything Zalmy’s ever known, including his friendship with Shmuel, to take the first steps into the secular world outside his own community? And what will Jonathan’s girlfriend Leah (Louisa Jacobson) think about his desire to convert to Hasidic Judaism when she wants to get as far away from the religion as possible?
Each of the actors is a joy to watch as they delve into not only the physicality of their characters but also into the confusion within their souls. Their three-dimensional performances will grab you from beginning to end, pulling you into their journey of self-fulfillment, dressed to cultural perfection by Costume Designer Denitsa Bliznakova.
Playwright Lindsay Joelle’s personal knowledge and extensive research into Hasidic Judaism everyday life in Brooklyn makes some of its most treasured practices understandable to secular audiences through smooth-as-silk dialogue that naturally flows between the friends in the Geffen’s intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. Scenic Designer Tim Mackabee keeps the set simple with movable set pieces brought on and off the stage. But it’s the eye-popping final scene when a completely different set is revealed both in front of and above the audience that will leave you wide-eyed with wonder thanks to Lighting Designer Lap Chi Chu.
Performances of TRAYF continue through April 10 in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024 on Tues-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm and 8pm, Sun 2pm and 7pm. Tickets currently priced at $30 – $149, available by phone at 310.208.2028 or online at
www.geffenplayhouse.org. Rush tickets for each day’s performance are made available to the general public two hours before showtime at the box office. $35 General/$15 Student. Currently, children under six years of age will not be admitted. Proof of vaccination and masks are required – additional policy details can be found at https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/plan/reopening/.
Next week look for my review of ALMA, the World Premiere play reopening the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.