Lary Bloom
Writer, Editor, Teacher
The Bloom Blog
Photo by Nancy Dionne
Friday, October 28, 2005
The Decision
Scotty Bloch, the actress and longtime friend, called and asked for my opinion. She had been offered two stage roles, both of them scheduled for the same time of year: January through March. One would be in Baltimore, and the other in South Florida. She had a quandary about which to take, and wanted to know what I thought.What I thought was that for a person in the neighborhood of 80 years of age having two solid offers in hand is something to celebrate. She brings to mind the very veteran actress Ruth Gordon, who, receiving her Oscar for her performance in Harold and Maude, said, "I guess I should be encouraged."
In Scotty's case, the two plays were as different as they could be, even though both have characters that are largely Jewish (which Scotty is not.) One of them, Under the Bed, she performed last year in Greenwich Village. That's the one that will be played in Florida. It's a comedy, and a fine one, about retired people in the Sunshine State.
The other play is one that according to Scotty nobody likes. Her agents don't like it. Her husband Dan doesn't like it. Her dear friend Peter Walker, a great actor himself, hates it. Even so, she still wanted me to read The Murder of Isaac. I could tell in her voice that this was the play she wanted to do.
In the end, I eagerly gave Scotty what she wanted. The eleventh and final opinion. The only one in favor of the play by Motti Lerner, and Israeli playwright. It's bold. It's political. It will make some people furious. And it will say what Scotty has always wanted to say on the stage -- that war is the wrong choice.
It is rare that an actor has such opportunity, and this is one that Scotty can't pass up. The play will be written about not only by the critics but by columnists interested in current events, particularly in the Middle East. But more than that, this play is the obvious choice for a remarkable octogenarian who doesn't crave sun as much she craves light.
Posted by:Lary Bloom at 2:13 PM
Web
Design by Arvid
Tomayko-Peters
Lary Bloom • Telephone: 860.526.2067 • Fax: 860.526.8088 • Email: