THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN The Twenty-Seventh Man is based on actual events, horrible as they may
EDUCATING HAL
have been. Though, I must admit to never having heard of Stalin’s execu- tion of this unfortunate group of gifted Yiddish writers. Hal Linden’s acting career and stage experience are vast and in spite of
and music by kinosian, book and lyrics by kellen blair. photo by joan marcus.
joe kinosian as the suspects and ian lowe as marcus in murder for two, with book
For Kinosian, it’s all about the response he sees from those watching, “I’m looking
forward to seeing how different audiences respond during the rest of this national tour. I’m going to be thrilled and potentially horrified, too. But, I’m going to think posi- tive… about how different theaters interpret the piece once the show gets licensed.” Running across rumors about a potential new work in the wings, I asked about
what it might entail, Blair had this to say, “We’re currently developing a musical farce about the backstage shenanigans of a Broadway opening night gone wrong. We’re doing a reading this spring and hoping to schedule some developmental produc- tions in the not-too-distant future.” Kinosian laughed and jumped in, “It’s in the style of Noises Off!, or 30 Rock, if 30 Rock
took place at a Broadway theater instead of a television studio. Two middle-aged actors try to fix their troubled romantic past while performing in a musical about their troubled romantic past. Lots of disastrous on-stage moments, of course, which precipitates their falling back in love. It’s in the same vein as Murder for Two, silliness- wise, but, we are hoping for a slightly higher degree of heart and humanity.” Watch for announcements about the new show on their website
kinosianandblair.com.
Murder for Two is playing at The Old Globe through Sunday, March 1. For tickets and more informa- tion, call 619.234.5623 or go to
theoldglobe.org.
that, neither had the Barney Miller star when asked about the play’s con- tent. “I had no idea, although we had glimpses of Stalin’s anti-Semitism. True believers were torn between admiration for the system and reports of corruption and Stalin’s cruelty to Jews. The time frame coincided with the birth of Israel. Joyous celebrations combined with apprehension over Soviet policy. It was a delicate time and a confirmation of the need for an Israel.” His opinion about why it’s an important story to tell: “In creating the
characters, we’ve come to appreciate that their deaths in captivity meant more than dying at home in bed. Their story will be told (as it has been), and the point will be made that Yiddish was deemed such a threat to totalitarianism that it had to be eliminated.” Linden’s character, the Yiddish writer, Yevgeny Zunser, is central to the
play. I asked what he felt was the importance of his relationship to the story. “He is the doyen of Yiddish literature. He recognizes long before anyone else that the language had been robbed of most of its readers and is moribund. All the more reason to go out with a bang!” As far as his experience working at The Old Globe as they rehearse the play and also working with Director Barry Edelstein, “So far, we’re all digging together. Rehearsal for an actor is the most illuminating and the most creative part of the process. I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow.” The Twenty-seventh Man is playing at The Old Globe Theatre from Saturday, February 14 through Sunday, March 15. For tickets and more information call 619.234.5623 or go to
theoldglobe.org.
FEBRUARY 2015 | RAGE monthly 51
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