The Jewish Community Center of Cleveland
in association with
Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus Theatre Arts Department
presents
From Door to Door
by James
Sherman
publicity picture
Jeanne Task as "Mary," Liz Conway as "Deborah" and
Barbara Haas as "Bessie"
Performances
May 4-21, 2006
Winner of a 'Times Newspaper Tribute Award for Outstanding Theatre 2006'
Roy Berko, Times Theatre Critic
Acting - Jeanne Task
Jeanne Task as "Mary"
Excerpts from The Cleveland Plain Dealer review
by Zachary Lewis
"3-generation tale has appeal for all audiences"
"almost everyone will relate somehow to the touching depiction of generational overlap"
"tastefully
directed production"
"stars Jeanne Task in a sympathetic portrayal of Mary"
"poignant"
"Barbara Haas crafts an impressive and sensitively nuanced arc from
young motherhood through elderliness as Bessie, the family's respected
and surprisingly complex matriarch"
"genuinely
affecting"
Barbara Haas as "Bessie"
Link to a feature story about playwright James Sherman in the Friday, May 5, 2006 edition of the Cleveland Jewish News
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Barbara Haas as "Bessie," Jeanne Task as "Mary" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
by Fran Heller
“a
winning production”
“gifted actors”
“a heartwarming experience that feels entirely fresh and new”
“a
trio of superb actors”
“Task delivers the performance of a lifetime as the obedient daughter
Mary, caught between the status quo and women’s lib. Her richly
textured portrayal captures the different stages of Mary’s life
— from dreamy-eyed high-school student to nurturing wife, mother,
and caretaker of aging parents to grieving widow — with a naturalness
that is achingly funny and poignant”
”Equally
memorable is the excellent Haas” “Haas visibly transforms
herself from bossy, overprotective mother to a bent-over, elderly parent
who needs help getting in and out of a chair. She also handles the Jewish
dialect with credible ease”
”Completing the triad is the dynamic Conway, who adds such verve and spice as the fiercely independent daughter Deborah” “Conway perfectly captures the frustration and stress of a young woman trying to have it all”
”these terrific actors … find the humanity and the universality underneath. Each is a joy to watch”
Liz Conway as "Deborah"
Associate Producer
Scenic Design, Technical Director
Light Design
Costume Design
Sound Design
Stage Manager / Light Board Operator
Sound Board Operator
Student Intern
House Manager
CCC East in-house TD
Brian Zoldessy
Ben Needham
Keith Nagy
Alison Garrigan
Richard Ingraham
Darcy Lindner
Bruce Amsel
Abe Hegewald
Judie Amsel
Martin Bluestein
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Liz Conway as "Deborah" and Jeanne Task as "Mary"
by Fran Heller
“sparkling production”
”The
three women play off each other without skipping a beat. The continual
shifts in the age and stage of each woman’s life could be confusing,
but Sternfeld’s airtight direction and well-articulated character
development keep the progression humming”
“Keith Nagy’s lighting captures the changing time frame and
milieu like a painting in which sunlight alters the way one sees the picture”
”Alison Garrigan’s costumes add further definition to the generational changes”
”The title refers to the Hebrew prayer “l’dor v’dor,” which means “from generation to generation.” A backdrop of doors in Ben Needham’s witty set design illuminates the play on words”
”From
Door to Door runs about 100 minutes without an intermission, but Sternfeld’s
direction is so flawless, that the time flew”
Barbara Haas as "Bessie," Jeanne Task as "Mary" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
Deborah
Bessie
Liz Conway
Barbara Haas*
* - member - Actors Equity Association
** - member - SSDC, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
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Jeanne Task as "Mary," Barbara Haas as "Bessie" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
ABOUT
THE PLAY:
From Door to Door is a funny, touching tribute
to three generations of women in America.
Mary Goodman is mourning the loss of her husband after 50 years of marriage.
She reflects back on her life as a daughter, wife and mother searching
for a vision of her own identity. Mary is trapped between status quo and
women's lib. Growing up in Roosevelt times, she became a wife and mother
surrendering her gift for painting and any thought of a career. Her mother
Bessie immigrated from Eastern Europe, married a man chosen for her, kept
her accent, cooked gefilte fish and lived in fear. Mary's daughter Deborah
gets to be herself, but must learn to balance living in the contemporary
world and carrying on a legacy.
From Door to Door brings new meaning to the song, "L'Dor V'Dor"
(From Generation to Generation). Spanning 70 years of history, this poignant
family comedy reveals what binds and divides them, the changing roles
of women and the constant power of family love.
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Barbara Haas as "Bessie" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
photography by Fred Sternfeld
by James Damico
"affecting and humorous"
"Returning veteran Barbara Haas manages the broad range of Bessie's ages effortlessly and convincingly, and is particularly precious in her testy old crab incarnation"
"The talented Liz Conway gives us a hearty, good-hearted Deborah"
"Sneakily standing out is Jeanne Task's Mary, who is deceptively and unexaggeratedly menschy, without any overwrought thespian gestures or appeals for affection. As always, it's a reassuring pleasure to see Mrs. Task back on a stage, where she decidedly forever belongs"
Jeanne Task as "Mary" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
by Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
”The
JCC production is nicely paced by director Fred Sternfeld. The flashbacks
and flash forwards could
get confusing as Sherman’s writing stratagem has left little time
for costume changes. Sternfeld has
handled this potential problem very well and the time eras are clear”
”Jeanne
Task developed the nuances … she clearly understands the role of
mother and wife. She
was real, natural, convincing”
“Liz Conway…was excellent”
”Ben
Needham’s creative set design, which consisted of a series of interlocking
doors on various levels, was
excellent. The symbolism of the multi-doors which could have been opened
in Mary’s life, but of which
only a few were actually opened, expanded the script’s imagery”
Barbara Haas as "Bessie" and Jeanne Task as "Mary"
by Teddi Gibson-Bianchi
"warm, fuzzy"
"pleasant" "amusing"
"a strong cast"
"at it's heart, it is about a family's relationship, one that's as sweet and sour as the cabbage soup that brews on Bessie's stove. The bonds of their love are strong, but not without some tartness"
"Undoubtedly, the play will ring some bells with anyone who finds herself - much to her surprise - quoting her own mother years later"
"a very likable cast"
"Jeanne Task does yeowoman's work as Mary, hardly offstage for a second, and she, Barbara Haas as Bessie and Liz Conway as Deborah all bring an affection and empathy to their roles"
Barbara Haas as "Bessie." Jeanne Task as "Mary" Liz Conway as "Deborah"
Excerpts from Chagrin Valley Times review
by Herb Hammer
"touching"
"brilliant moments"
"Mary, played excellently by Jeanne Task"
"Barbara Haas is stunning"
"poignant ending"
Jeanne Task as "Mary" and Liz Conway as "Deborah"
