The Hebrew Hammer
At Christmastime, plays about Hanukkah seem risky. Many Hanukkah stories concede to offer a sort of Christmas Lite — after all, Hanukkah is primarily known in the Christian world because it is What Jews Do At Christmas; it's "not even one of the high holy days," as one character kvetches in the The Hebrew Hammer. Adapted for the Planet Ant from a Comedy Central original movie, Hammer's plot also depends upon Christmas: there's a new Santa in charge, and he's a racist power monger who plans to end Hanukkah and Kwanzaa once and for all. The Jewish Defense League is desperate to stop him, and the only man resourceful and (ahem) unorthodox enough to do it is the title character (Jon Ager). With his love interest, Esther (Sarah Switanowski), they encounter hordes of characters, played by a supporting cast of five, on their adventures.
The influence of the blaxploitation genre shows, from the music to the montage sequence hilariously aping drug pushers. Ager and Switanowski give serviceable performances as the Hammer and Esther, infusing the genre with plenty of Jewish stereotypes. The ensemble plays an overwhelming number of characters, and although I'm not familiar with the source material, it seemed that some bits — and bit parts — could have been further distilled or eliminated for a smoother flow. The ensemble doesn't always shine when all its members appear together, but each actor had at least one outstanding character or scene to showcase. As the only woman in the ensemble, Lisa Melinn took on a large share of the character work, and her work is spot-on each time she's onstage.
The most successful elements, and often the bits that got the biggest laughs, were the inventive solutions to the problem of presenting dozens of characters and locations. Kristen P. Gribbin's set — as unsubtle as the characterizations — is mostly bare, making way for gleeful Keystone Kops–esque chase scenes that began to lose their luster with overuse. (Remember to watch the titles at the top of the set, which both set the scenes and sneak in a few laughs of their own.) The actors made bold choices with the use of puppets, designed by Michelle Becker, essentially doubling the number of characters portrayed, and their use frequently paid off. On opening night, there were a few snafus with set changes and entrances, but these were handled with aplomb; actor Josh Campos repeatedly broke the fourth wall and let the audience in on the joke, little nods that fit right in with this production.
Director Frannie Shepherd-Bates, who also penned this adaptation, heightens the caricature in every character — whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa — in the hopes that poking fun at their outlandishness will help society shed its misperceptions. In actuality, The Hebrew Hammer seems more comfortable with the idea that if they make fun of everyone, it's okay because they single out no one. There is some sloppiness to this staging, but it also has a winning grit.
In the face of so many Christmas shows at other theaters, this production is far more than a lone Hebrew song to justify calling it the holiday concert. The Planet Ant shouldn't even need to offer free egg rolls in order to pack its December 25 performances (although it does!). The Hebrew Hammer makes itself a niche as a welcome alternative to Christmas treacle, to be enjoyed by Gentiles and Yids alike.
December 7, 2009