The Finkelsteins on Stage
Two years after his parents' deaths, a young gay Jewish artist finds himself caught between a passionate new love affair and a mother who refuses to leave his side. Funny, moving and deeply human, The Finkelsteins Are Coming to Dinner explores love, loss, family, Jewish identity and the ties that bind us long after death.
"A joy to watch."
— Steve Kretzmann, The Critter.
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Original Cape Town Production:
The Finkelsteins Are Coming to Dinner was first presented as a staged reading at Alexander Bar & Theatre in early 2016 before receiving its premiere production at the Cape Town Fringe Festival and transferring to the Alexander Bar & Theatre for a three-week season later that year.
Directed by Adrian Collins, the production brought together Andrew Laubscher, David Viviers and Megan Furniss in an intimate three-hander exploring grief, love, family and queer romance. Incorporating original artwork by Evan Oberholster, it balanced comedy and emotional depth, earning critical acclaim, two Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations and a Fringe Fresh Award for David Viviers' performance as James.
Cast and Creative Team
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| Andrew Laubscher, Megan Furniss and David Viviers |
Cast
Nate — Andrew LaubscherSylvia — Megan Furniss
James — David Viviers
Creative Team
Written by Richard KaplanDirected by Adrian Collins
Consultant Producer & Dramaturg - Nicholas Spagnoletti
Lighting Design - Guy de Lancey
Art - Evan Oberholster
Production Highlights
- Premiered at the Cape Town Fringe Festival (2016)
- Transferred to the Alexander Bar & Theatre for a three-week season
- 17 performances
- Two Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations
- Fringe Fresh Performer Award recipient David Viviers (James)
- Audience Rating: ★★★★½ (4.48/5 from 102 audience ratings)
Critical Acclaim
"The Finkelsteins is a theatrical gem in which transcendental themes like love, sex and the meaning of life are artfully – and wittily – blended into an intriguing amalgam."
— Cape Argus
"The Finkelsteins Are Coming To Dinner, with its finely wrought idiosyncratic text that retains an innervating sense of mystery even after its overt secret becomes clear, certainly deserves a full house."
— Steve Kretzmann, The Critter
"The play is not afraid of queer theatre, nor is it afraid of being queer theatre that deals with the domesticity of queerness."
— David Fick, BroadwayWorld
Audience Responses
"The show was achingly funny, meaningful and moving."
— Tamara
"Three lovely performances, one exquisite script."
— Keith
"Perfect – excellent performances and a brilliant, layered and meaningful script that managed to be funny while pulling no punches."
— Rod
"Warm, real, funny. Well written and brilliantly performed by all 3 actors."
— Carolyn