Review: Hester Street Offers Humor, Heartache, and Hope on the Way to the American Dream

There are countless stories about immigrants coming to New York City in search of the American dream, but Hester Street, a new play based on a Yiddish story by Abraham Cahan, takes that story in a new direction. Joan Micklin Silver made a successful film out of it in 1975, and now Sharyn Rothstein has reworked the heart-rending tale in the world premiere play being staged at Theater J.

The story follows Jake (Jake Horowitz) and Gitl (Sara Kapner), Jewish immigrants from Russia in the 1890s, who try to assimilate into American society while dealing with the clash between old-world traditions and new-world values. Jake has embraced the American lifestyle and culture and tries to leave his old customs behind, while Gitl finds it hard to adapt to her new surroundings and holds on to her traditional ways, including refusing to take her wig off. This causes great strife between the couple as Jake’s anger intensifies.

Adding to the problems is Jake head start living in America. He enjoyed all the perks of being a “single” man on the Lower East Side, including striking up a relationship at a dance hall with the fiercely independent Mamie (Eden Epstein). So, when it’s finally time to bring his wife and son Yossele (an adorable Katie Angell) to New York, his new life takes a transformative step backwards.

As Jake, Horowitz is equally charming and off-putting. His charisma is on display when he’s with his dance hall friends or his son, but his harshness shines through with his wife. Horowitz kills it in both regards. Kapner is a delight as the wife who wants nothing more than to please her husband, and while she sticks to her beliefs, her wide-eyed outlook and devotion to her family steals your heart. She is funny and has a lovely voice, which she shows off in a haunting bedtime tune. Much of her dialogue is in Yiddish, with supertitles are projected onto curtains above the set — though at times, they did go a little too fast to read.

An underlying theme of the show deals with spirits, as Jake is haunted by the life he left behind in the old country. His recently deceased father appears as a silhouette, showing the strong impact he still has on his son’s actions. Masterful violinist Lauren Jeanne Thomas, one of three musicians in the show who provide music throughout, also quietly haunts the stage in the shadows created by lighting designer Colin K. Bills. But the trio also lend much-needed levity to some of the serious moments. Composer Joel Waggonner’s jazz-infused score is filled with earworms such as “How Long Have We Got” and “Milk and Honey.”

Pianist Morgan Morse serves as a kind of a narrator in the role of Joe Peltner, who runs a dance studio where a lot of the action takes place. On trombone, Jason Cohen has some fun moments, using the instrument to voice an immigration officer and filling in some story transitions.

Director Oliver Butler makes the most of the stage, a simple, yet intimate layout on a turntable, where one side shows the apartment’s kitchen and living area, while the other is the bedroom where the conflicts between Jake and Gitl occur.

The supporting cast features the scene-stealing Dani Stoller as landlady Mrs. Kavarsky, who dominates every time she’s on stage with her humor and heart. Michael Perrie Jr. plays Jake’s co-worker who bonds with Gitl and her son. Though playing a serious devout man, Perrie has lighthearted scenes with Kapner. And though Mamie could have been a one-note character, Epstein shows fierceness and vulnerability in making us care for her even as it rips Jake and Gitl apart.

The ending of Hester Street takes an interesting turn, though it may be familiar to some. This is an American dream story that deserves to be heard.