What I liked
Beautifully written and performed . I enjoyed every moment of her fascinating life story
What I didn't like
Everything worked and was great comedic timing and delivery . Handing out chocolate kisses at the end was a ‘sweet’ touch
My overall impression
A Bittersweet Journey, @ the Fringe Festival, Starring Pamela Brode
“The Search For Chocolate,” as performed and written by the very talented Pamela Brode, is a delightful and delectable romp through her love life, her striving for validation and approval, her quest for Jewish identity, with a family that defied expectations. One of the few props onstage is a small suitcase, her symbolic ‘baggage,’ which, at the mention of any aggravating or triggering experiences, she grabs a piece of candy at the ready, to dissipate her angst. One of the thematic songs she sings is “The Candyman,” symbolic of her unquenchable search for ‘Mr. Right.’ Pamela’s involvement with Scientology becomes her anathema, and almost destroys her. Also, her discovery of ‘Christopher,’ an aptly named savior figure, (though ironic for a nice Jewish girl,) has a tragic end. After her mother dissuades her, and ultimately rescues her from the Scientology cult, she devolves into the Kabbalah. And she finally makes it to Israel, after a lifelong dream of hers to visit was thwarted and threatened many times due to a host of bad decisions on her part. To me, the portrayal of the old rabbi giving her sage advice, while striking his long beard, was hilarious, evocative, and quite a standout performance. She ends up becoming devoutly orthodox, and proclaims, “I thought I was finally happy, and I became pleasantly plump, since Shabbat has food with no holds barred.” She continues, gleefully, “when they give you a bagel, it has shmears, lox, and all the trimmings.” Her interplay with the audience was palpable, and a memorable moment, was when she danced with a random audience member, a tall, bald, thin man, to a popular 80’s rock tune. Also, she becomes an art hawker, which fulfills another of her many life journeys and soul searches. But her real quest was to find her true self, to become a mensch, and to ‘dare to dream.’ Go see this show. You will be enthralled and gratified.
www.hollywoodfringe.org
