Phil Johnson is used to the stage – the actor, writer, artistic director and producer has performed his entire life in musicals, at nightclubs and in theatres across the United States. But there’s something different about being the only person on stage throughout an entire performance.
Johnson will bring his one-man show, “A Jewish Joke,” to The White Theatre at The J on December 18 and 19. Acting in this show, which played off-Broadway and has toured across the United States, brings excitement and challenges unlike any other he’s experienced before.
“Doing a one-man show is very much like running a marathon,” Johnson said. “You have to be in a certain shape to do it, vocally and physically. And this show is a workout. This is a guy with a lot of energy, and he uses it to keep ‘tap dancing as long as he can,’ in his own words.”
“A Jewish Joke” follows a 1950s Hollywood comedy screenwriter who gets caught up in the web of the communist blacklist right as his career begins to take off. Caught up in one of Hollywood’s darker moments, the writer has to decide if he’s ready to stand up for something.
Johnson and his co-writer, Marni Freedman, wanted to create a funny person depicted on the worst day of their life. The idea began as a celebration of Jewish comedy and formed from there.
“We gave him a lot of comic situations, some dramatic situations, which he would use his wits and his sense of humor to worm his way out of,” Johnson said. “I gave him a couple of things to do that some famous people had actually tried when facing the blacklist themselves. Then there is a large comic set piece that happens toward the end where he is just using his wits wildly in a big finale kind of piece.”
The show, which has been performed off Broadway and in cities across the country, is meant to create discussion among people of all backgrounds.
“There have been some venues and situations that were primarily Jewish and those that were very accepting and interested in all of this subject and its parts,” Johnson said. “In some cities that were not so specifically connected to the story, it was still amazing to see what kind of discussion the play opened up in a very different setting. It’s been wonderful to talk about that with the different audiences.”
Bringing in shows that offer different perspectives is something that has always been important to Keith Wiedenkeller, director of arts and culture at The J.
“We try every year to strike a balance between shows that are programmed for their sheer entertainment value, and those that are more educational,” Wiedenkeller said. “Fortunately for us, ‘A Jewish Joke’ fits both criteria. It seems especially important to be remembering this history at a time when some seem to want to gloss over the uglier parts of our national story, and the McCarthy-era blacklist certainly qualifies.”
Comedy aside, the show offers insightful takeaways for the audience.
“There is a wonderful Yiddish word that I love and use in this play a lot: mensch,” Johnson said. “The play asks the question: what is it in this world or in your lifetime that will make you finally stand up and fight for something? I think that idea is more important now than it has been in years.
“The other thing that’s important about the play is that I’ve always been a huge follower and supporter of Jewish culture and humor,” he continued. “The guy in this play uses his sense of humor to make the best of a terrible situation, and that is what I point out very strongly in the work – that pragmatic sense of humor is what has carried Jewish people through a lot of bad situations, and it’s something the whole world could learn from.”
“A Jewish Joke” comes exclusively to The White Theatre at The J on December 18 and 19. Tickets are available now at The White Theatre box office or online at www.TheWhiteTheatre.org.
The J’s 2021-2022 season continues in January, as Kinnor Philharmonic rings in the new year on January 2, and “Memphis,” a co-production with the Kansas City Black Repertory Theatre, takes the stage from February 5 to 20. For more information on these and other upcoming performances, visit www.TheWhiteTheatre.org.
As part of The White Theatre’s COVID-19 vaccination policy, all guests must wear masks, and either be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. For more information, visit TheWhiteTheatre.org.
