Review: THE SABBATH GIRL at 59E59 Theaters is a Charming and Meaningful Romantic Story

"It's 2020. A woman's worth is not whether or not she's in a relationship."

By Angie to Sophia in The Sabbath Girl

The New York City premiere of The Sabbath Girl, is now delighting audiences at 59E59 Theaters. This modern romantic comedy is written by Cary Gitter, directed by Joe Brancato, and features a marvelous cast of five. The play is a fine portrayal of how people can bridge their cultural differences. This story is just right for our times. It is sure to sell out so get your tickets and enjoy.

Angie Mastrantoni enjoys her position as the curator of a NYC art gallery and she has recently moved into her own apartment on the Upper West Side. Unlucky in love, she is determined to focus on her career to the concern of her lively grandmother, Sophia who Angie affectionately calls Nonna. Things are about to change when Angela's neighbor, Seth, a divorced Orthodox Jewish man, knocks on her door needing a Shabbat goy. Angie is willing to assist him with little chores on the Sabbath and the two are clearly attracted to each other. But there are obstacles to their relationship including the fact that Angie has been getting some attention from a hip modern portrait artist, Blake. To complicate matters, Seth works in his family's knish store on the Lower East Side with his sister, Rachel who insists that he honor his faith, family, and traditions by dating women from his own religious community.

The cast is ideal. They bring to life all the humor and heart of Cary Gitter's charming story. The company includes Lauren Annunziata as Angie; Angelina Fiordellisi as Sophia; Ty Molbak as Blake; Jeremy Rishe as Seth; and Lauren Singerman as Rachel. Audiences will relish scenes that include Seth meeting Angie for the first time; Sophia recalling her own romances and the dances at Roseland; Angie interpreting Blake's artwork; Angie dropping by Konig's Knishes to see Seth; Angie's visit to a wine bar with Blake; and Rachel telling Seth about how she views the importance of traditions, family, and faith; and Seth talking about his Yiddish short story translations to Angie.

The Creative Team has done a top job of setting the mood for the show. They include scenic design by Christopher and Justin Swader; costume design by Gregory Gale; lighting design by Todd O. Wren; original music and sound design by Matt Otto; properties by Buffy Cardoza. The Projection Designer is Yana Birykova; Casting is by Cindi Rush; and the Assistant Director is Michael Herwitz. The Stage Manager is Jamil Chokachi.

The Sabbath Girl is a universally appealing play that we are sure our readers will enjoy. We commend the producing company, Penguin Rep and 59E59 Theaters for making the show available to metro area audiences.

The Sabbath Girl has a run time is 85 minutes with no intermission. The play is being performed through 3/8 at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison). The performance schedule is Tuesday to Friday at 7:15 pm; Saturday at 2:15 pm & 7:15 pm; Sunday at 2:15 pm. To purchase tickets, call the 59E59 Box Office at 646-892-7999 or visit https://www.59e59.org/,

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

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