Review: Theater J's Impactful BROKEN GLASS

How do we identify ourselves? What role does fear play in shaping our lives? Do we ever confuse what we see in the news with what is actually happening in our daily comings and goings? In an era when news, be it real or fake, is omnipresent, Theater J's timely, well-acted production of Broken Glass explores the most complex of issues... identify.

Broken Glass is one of Arthur Miller's least produced plays, and yet it contains the social conscience for which he is famous for. Shortly after the start of Kristallnacht in 1938, Sylvia Gellburg (Lise Bruneau), mysteriously becomes paralyzed from the waist down. He husband Phillip (Paul Morella), desperate to understand what happened to his wife, contacts their neighborhood doctor, Harry Hyman (Gregory Linington). As Nazi oppression against Jews escalates, the Gellburgs, Sylvia's sister Harriet (Michele Osherow), and Harry and his talkative wife Margaret (Kimberly Gilbert) all struggle to come to understand what is happening - both to Sylvia and Germany.

The beauty of Miller's writing is that this is not a one-dimensional piece. A lesser playwright could have predictably linked Sylvia's condition with a sense of guilt about what she was reading in the newspapers. Broken Glass, like life, is not that simple. For Miller, it's a chance to ask the audience: what do you see when you look in the mirror?

Heightening that question is the ongoing terror in Germany, which not only awakens Sylvia's search for meaning, but that of her husband as well. Watching this we can't help but think how often current events seem to dictate our consciousness and how we act. What role do these events, if any, play in shaping who we are? Miller uses the Jewish American experience to examine this issue with the Gellburg's story.

Conveying the complexity, humor and depth of the story is Theater J's solid ensemble. Bruneau and Morella portray the Gellburg's, not Goldbergs as Peter makes quite clear, a relationship with great nuance. Years of anxiety and resentment have taken its toll on both of them. It's Morella's subtle, yet incredible performance in capturing Peter's inner conflict about his own identity that highlights a struggle many have about how they want to be perceived.

At no point is that greater than in the scenes between Morella and Stanton Case, played by Stephen PatRick Martin. While Peter has been Case's loyal and profitable employee for 18 years, there's a clear barrier in their relationship which keeps it strictly at employer and employee. We see Morella's Peter in angst trying to navigate this relationship, downplaying his own identify, fully aware of the consequences, to get ahead in business.

As the doctor meant to cure Sylvia's paralysis, Linington's Hyman is a mixture of cunning and charm, with a hint of manipulation. Once again, Miller doesn't settle for a one-dimensional character and through Linington's performance, it's quite evident that healing Sylvia isn't the only item on his agenda. Yet, he, more than any other character, tends to see the world clearly and does so without a shred of arrogance. His chemistry with both Bruneau and Morella, and Aaron Posner's fluid direction, are what makes this production so impactful.

Bringing a bit of levity, and a few laughs, to the evening are Gilbert and Osherow. However, both characters are much deeper than they first appear. Osherow's Harriet contains that old-world, mothering charm - the type you'd want taking care of you after a rough day. Yet, she sees the Gellburg's relationship for what it is and finely walks the line between supportive and concerned sister.

The play's title is taken from the German transition of Kristallnacht which means "night of Broken Glass." Picture frames filled with shattered mirrors line the backstage of AnDrew Cohen's minimalist set design. Mark Costello's projections, bridge the gap between New York and Nazi Germany with images of the two. The images of Kristallnacht are as haunting to the audience as they are to Sylvia. They are a constant reminder that we must not forget what happened that night.

Theater J's production is being done in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Several talkbacks are scheduled throughout the run to reflect on the play and the Jewish American experience.

When we hear Arthur Miller we think of Death of a Salesman, All My Sons and The Crucible. While Broken Glass may not be as famous, it doesn't make it any less remarkable. Theater J's production is a must-see. Who among us hasn't struggled with our own identity?

Runtime: Two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission

Broken Glass runs thru July 9th at Theater J - 1529 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington DC 20036. For performance times, talk back schedules and to buy tickets, please click here.

Photo: Gregory Linington and Kimberly Gilbert. Credit Teresa Wood.

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