Written by Debbie Goodstein; directed by Jonathan Silverstein
Theatre Row | 410 West 42 Street, New York, NY 10036
October 29 - December 5, 2026
Photo Credit by Jeremy Daniel
Amid the challah bread, cautiously lit candles, and dancing around the table, Dina and Abe Stein offer a glimpse of the modern Jewish family, proudly living in 2023.
Barbara Walsh (Tony nominee for Falsettos, Drama Desk nomination for Company) plays Dina Stein. She is firm, vying for the love of her family, with long monologues that book end the drama. She stands strong, celebrating the diversity of the four teams she has raised. A pregnant daughter, Rachel, lives with Vinny, an Italian Catholic cop. Older son, Yitzhak, thinks of his children, living in a kibbutz near Gaza, and a second son, Joseph, eventually marries the love of his life, Sami. The youngest, Jake, is a Harvard attendee who aligns with Jenna, a defiant protestor, played by Ali Axelrad.
Debbie Goldstein's script offers weighty debates. As a scholar, a pragmatist, and a warrior, she is forgiving, offering bits of wisdom through crisis. Dina Stein explains, "Acceptance has a twin. Assimilation. Acceptance gets you a seat at the table. But assimilation, that changes the menu." The characters, all entirely credible, often cut right to the issue.
The sounds of West End Avenue rival the street noise of anywhere else in Manhattan. Wishes for a healthy, strong home with safely guarded children fall short, when a deeply unsettled Jenna admits her desire to protest for a Free Palestine. This inspires a string of gutsy proclamations, freely hurled across the stage. Intricacies of student protest, alternative family planning, and even the fallout of October 7th are included in Act One. Joyous conversations begin in the dining room, while troubling truths are revealed in the side rooms.
In Act Two, a haunting creates a bit of the levity before deeper issues take root. Ghosts surround the elder couple. Joseph and Sami get married. Adam Heller (Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Goodspeed), as Abe Stein, eventually does a fine job navigating crisis while appreciating longevity. In a small, private room, he cautions his son about straying too far from his original beliefs.
The sky overhead offers a bright blue in a world inspired by the stories of Sholem Aleichem. Costume Designer Jennifer Paar and Scenic Designer Lauren Helpern capture these moments, providing mystery and reverie, with the lightest touch of frivolity.
So much can happen in a brownstone on West End Avenue. Create Theater and Prism Stage Company’s production of the Blue Violinist finds music beyond discord. With the sounds of klezmer, we are reminded of the joy of owning a Chagall print and the memory of conversations gone by.
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Review by by Marcina Zaccaria.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on November 4, 2026. All rights reserved.