What I liked
What is remarkable about this show is the juxtaposition of humor and pathos Buchboot uses to tell this shattering tale of his Grandmother’s experiences during the holocaust. There is a section where he employs a puppet to give a first person narrative about the horrors of Auschwitz that exemplifies Buchboot’s (and director Martha Gehman’s) mastery of this delicate dance of tragedy and comedy that left the audience (particularly me) in tears . He intersperses the performance with Yiddish songs sung “a cappella” in a beautifully clear and honest tenor. Through all of this he cooks an actual chocolate cake on a working stove which he shares with the audience after the performance that shows indeed that sweetness can emerge even from life’s most unimaginable tragedy and loss.
What I didn't like
Although a slap-stick style “silent movie” that was shown during the performance was wonderfully charming and funny, I feel it slowed down the pacing and hurt the flow. The “young Moti”puppet sections can also be tighened and refined (perhaps even cut? Also, at the end of the play, Buchboot references the “Five Pieces of Paper” left by his Grandmother and what he learned from each of the five. It was hard after having such and overwhelmingly emotional ride to remember the specifics of what each page said. Perhaps before explaining each lesson learned he could give a sentence-long summation of each particular page. I feel certain all these problems will be resolved after enough performances.
My overall impression
What a beautiful theatrical experience. Moti Buchboot is funny, warm, and stunningly authentic as he lays his heart and soul on the stage while telling this heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting tale of his Grandmother and her experiences in the holocaust.
