Teatron welcomes U. to Table

Teatron Jewish Theater is putting the last-minute touches on their spring production of James Lapine's Table Settings, which opens tonight. Table Settings is a hilarious portrayal of life in a dysfunctional Jewish family. The family consists of a variety of characters, ranging from the stereotypically archaic Jewish grandmother who strives to make sure everyone is fed properly, to the lima bean-despising grandson who finds comfort and security beneath the dining room table. Seth Rozin, the director of the show and a 1986 University graduate, explained that the show is about "the repression and then expression of feelings" and the resulting disasters. He said that although the concerns and problems of the characters are serious, the show deals with the issues in a comical light. "The hardest part has been to get these very intelligent people to be funny on stage," Rozin said. "They tend to make things more serious than they are." College senior Jody Sheinbaum, who portrays the wife in the play, said she thinks the cast will be successful in their endeavor to make people laugh. "The audience can expect to have a good time," Sheinbaum said. "By laughing at us, they're laughing at themselves and their families." Although the show is produced by a Jewish theater company, cast members said that audience members of all religions should be able to identify with the situational comedy of the play. "It's important that it's Teatron and we're a Jewish theater and we're bringing Jewish theater to campus, but I don't want that to exclude people who aren't Jewish," said College senior Mara Bralove, the show's producer. "Anyone can enjoy and appreciate it and understand the people." Table Settings is Teatron's second show. According to Wharton and College junior Sumeet Goel, the show's assistant director, this show is not as strongly religious as Teatron's previous production, The Dybbuk. Goel said the group decided that this time they would do "something that was a little bit lighter and could draw a bigger audience." Goel said he thinks that "if you take out the religious and food references, [Table Settings] could work for any religion." College senior Mara Bralove says she feels the same way. "Even though it is a Jewish family and there are some particulars to the Jewishness, all the issues are universal -- such as falling in love and adolescence," Bralove said. Cast members said it is easy to identify with most or all of the characters and their many problems and volatile family dynamics. "I think anyone can say 'I know someone exactly like that,' or 'I was, or am, or will be like that,' " Bralove added. Table Settings opens today and will run Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are being sold on Locust Walk and at the door of the Annenberg Studio Theater.

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