Photo by Morgan Sophia Photography

Arielle Goldman and Hale Appleman appear in a scene from Miami New Drama’s world premiere production of Jonathan Spector’s Birthright.

By AARON KRAUSE

Multiple times, the lights go out in a room with a hot tub in Miami New Drama’s (MIND) impressively naturalistic professional production of Jonathan Spector’s timely but imperfect new play, “Birthright.” Of course, each time the lights go out, somebody turns them back on.

It is not clear whether this keeps happening by accident or whether the playwright and/or director purposely incorporated the lighting problem. Regardless, it is symbolic in a play about six young Jewish people wrestling with topics such as their connection to Israel, Anti-Semitism, and Jewish identity. Certainly, it is important to keep shining a light on such topics. Doing so educates others and keeps the issues in the limelight. Indeed, passion for and awareness of the issues may lose steam if we ignore them.

Doubtless, MIND (www.miaminewdrama.org) is doing its part to keep the flame burning. Unquestionably, that is essential during a time of frequent and widespread Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel sentiment after Oct. 7, 2023. That is when Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel. It was the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The attack resulted in many deaths and hostages taken. In this climate, a play such as Birthright feels vital.

MIND’s world premiere production, under Teddy Bergman’s generally solid direction, runs through April 27. The venue is MIND’s home performing space, the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. The production is part of the company’s Y6K New Jewish Play Initiative. This is a long-term commitment by the nonprofit, professional MIND. Specifically, the company seeks to annually commission and produce at least one new world premiere that explores urgent questions of Jewish identity, history, and culture.

In Birthright, we meet Chaya (Dani Stoller), Isabella (Arielle Goldman), Noah (Stephen Stocking), Emerson (Daniel Capote), Alona (Krystal Millie Valdes), Lev (Hale Appleman), and Deborah (Irene Adjan).

In the script, Spector, whose current Broadway play “Eureka Day” has garnered positive reviews and critical acclaim, notes that each of these characters is searching for something. Specifically, Chaya is looking for community, Izzy seeks justice, Noah seeks understanding, Emerson desires serenity, Alona seeks home, and Lev seeks meaning. Meanwhile, Deborah, Chaya’s mother (a warm Adjan), wonders “what’s with all the searching?”

When the play begins, in 2006, the six young passionate Jews are reuniting after taking a Birthright trip to Israel together. Birthright Israel (https://www.birthrightisrael.com) offers a ten-day transformative and immersive experience in Israel for Jewish young adults. In the play, the characters have returned from this experience with a new commitment to their Jewish identity, to Israel, and to each other.

In the play’s second act, the friends are meeting once again. But this time, it is a decade later, in 2016. The third act takes place eight years after that, in May 2024.

Undoubtedly, in MIND’s world premiere production, the acting is so believable, we feel as though we are eavesdropping on real-life conversations in real time. Truly, these are Broadway caliber performances. Each of the seven actors creates a distinct and relatable character. As an ensemble, the actors convincingly suggest a close-knit community. And they seem to listen intently to each other.

In the end, we wish we could spend more time with them. However, Birthright runs just under three hours and includes two 10-minute intermissions. For a talk-heavy piece with little action, the running time seems too long.

Perhaps by stretching the play out to just under three hours, Spector wanted to create the sense of much time elapsing from the play’s beginning to its end. But the play may have worked better as a leaner piece that focused more on fewer characters. In its present form, Birthright lacks a compelling narrative and dramatic tension. The piece seems less like a play with a fully formed plot and more like three separate meeting sessions between the characters. Also, more than once, a scene begins in the middle of a conversation. In addition, more than one conversation happens at a time during some scenes. As a result of these drawbacks, it can be hard to follow the action.

Further, if you are not Jewish, and/or you are not familiar with Jewish customs, you may feel lost. For instance, at least twice, the characters recite prayers in Hebrew. Also, they use terms that many Jews will recognize, but others may not. Since the production includes projections, the scenic and projection designers, Adam Koch and Steven Royal, could have included subtitles and/or translations of unfamiliar terms and prayers. A glossary of terms in the program may have been helpful as well. Alas, there are none.

Although the characters age from 2006 to 2024, there is no apparent effort by the actors or behind the scenes artists to suggest characters aging over 18 years.

While the acting is generally great, so is the behind-the-scenes design work. For example, Koch’s and Royal’s realistic and detailed depiction of the home that serves as the setting in the first and third acts is spacious, upscale, and pristine. With a red patterned rug, a couch and chair with pillows, and artwork on the reddish-brown walls, it looks as though well-off people live in the home. Also, the room with the hot tub includes realistic details.

Jeff Croiter’s lighting design reinforces the piece’s realism.  In addition, Nicole Jescinth’s costumes enhance the characters’ individuality, and Salomon Lerner’s sound design is clear and crisp.

With fine-tuning, “Birthright” could enjoy a long theatrical life. Hopefully that will happen.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Miami New Drama’s world premiere production of Jonathan Spector’s play, Birthright.

WHEN: Through April 27. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

TICKETS: $46.50, $66.60, and $76.50. Call (305) 674-1040 or go to https://miaminewdrama.org.