Jerusalem English-speaking theatergoers these days are spoiled for choice. Local theater companies continue to stage musicals, comedies, dramas, and more, often highlighting Jewish themes; connections to our times are not hard to find.

This month, Theatre Zion, under the direction of Aryeh Weisberg, offers us the comedy-drama The Value of Names by award-winning Jewish playwright Jeffrey Sweet. His most well-known play, it is still being staged worldwide.

Thirty years prior to the opening scene in 1981, the House Un-American Activities Committee, chaired by senator Joseph McCarthy, was working to ferret out Communist sympathizers among certain groups. For Jewish individuals included in this roundup, this was an all-too-familiar sensation. As the playwright notes: “All these people who had grown up on stories of Cossacks chasing their ancestors on horseback with sabers looked at Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon and Karl Mundt and the rest of those SOBs and said, ‘Looks like Cossacks to me!’”

But Jews weren’t only the victims; they were also the namers of names. Sweet therefore imagines a scenario in which two close friends found themselves on opposite sides of the McCarthy investigations. Benny Silverman (Yehoshua Looks) was an aspiring actor in Leo Greshen’s (David Golinkin) theater company. But when Greshen decided to save his own skin by naming Benny to the House Committee, Benny’s career came to an abrupt halt, and it took him many years to stage a limping comeback. Unsurprisingly, he has nursed bitter feelings for three decades.

Now, in 1981, Benny’s daughter Norma Silverman (Esther Eisenberg), an emerging acting talent in her own right, wants to change her last name to escape her famous father’s shadow. And so the theme of the use and abuse of names pervades the play. As Benny laments to Norma: “He steals my name; you throw it away.”

Norma has finally secured a significant role – but with one hitch: Leo is the director. The drama unfolds as Norma seeks her father’s opinion on this; it escalates when Leo himself shows up. Thirty years ago, Leo caused Benny to become a persona non grata, and Benny reciprocated by labeling Leo a nonperson. Now, face-to-face on Benny’s Malibu veranda, avoidance is no longer an option. Benny barks to Norma, “Get this mamzer a beer!” and the two men get down to hashing out the old wound and ascertaining whether repentance or forgiveness is even possible.

A Jewish lens on a troubling chapter of US history

The Value of Names delves into a troubling chapter of American history through a Jewish lens. It discusses the fragility of a good reputation and name (in Hebrew, name and reputation are the same word, “shem”), as well as the pressure to publicly apologize, familiar in today’s cancel culture, which Leo resists with all his might. It also showcases differing intergenerational sensitivities (Norma: “Why it is that whenever you get mad at me, you reach for a Nazi?” Benny: “You say it like it’s a soft drink!”).

Much of the humor comes in Act I, with Act II – Leo and Benny sparring over beer and potato chips – being heavier, particularly with Norma absent. The talented actors of Theatre Zion give their all to roles with numerous lines. The dialogue resembles a ping-pong match, full of witty banter and much knee-jerk disagreement, reminiscent of the “automatic nay-saying” mentioned in Monty Python’s famous argument sketch. Yet, with all this, these flawed characters manage to make headway and actually share meaningful and honest words.

To fully appreciate this play, with its historical references, rapid-fire banter, and fraught interpersonal dynamics, you need to be alert. So brush up on McCarthyism, grab a cup of coffee, and join Theatre Zion for a thought-provoking and engaging performance. ■

• What: The Value of Names, a comedy-drama set in Malibu. (Advisory: some strong language)
• Who: Theatre Zion. Director: Aryeh Weisberg. 
• Writer: Jeffrey Sweet.
• Where: Khan Theater
• When: March 12-23
• Why: Jewish protagonists confront challenging issues with humor and honesty.