Dec 9, 2009

The Sisters Rosensweig | Introduction

The Sisters Rosensweig, Wendy Wasserstein’s play about the transformative power of love, of sisterhood, and of life, was directed by Daniel Sullivan at Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in New York City, opening in October 1992. Currently available in print, it was published in 1992 by the Dramatists Play Service in New York. The play is held together by the richly woven dialogue of three Jewish- American sisters pushing against the boundaries of their own lives in order to define themselves. Consequently, they do come to a point of resolution in their struggles, sometimes raising their voices in protest to be heard, at other times speaking softly in an attempt to hear themselves. Despite the absence of any action, the sisters manage to transform both themselves and their lives in the course of one evening. Another significant feature of the work is its ability to capture and make real several social and political issues that gave shape to the late part of the 1980s—the fall of the Soviet Union, Reaganomics, and the plight of the homeless, to name a few. In fact, the events discussed in the work are merely a reflection of what Wasserstein experienced in her own travels, first in eastern Europe, before the fall of the Soviet Union, and in Poland, in a town where she could see no evidence of her Jewish ancestry. It was her goal not only to raise certain political and social questions but also to illuminate her Jewish heritage, using her work as her vehicle. The play was admired by critics for its humor and insight, and it managed to earn the playwright both an Outer Critics Circle Award and an Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award nomination for best play in 1993.

The Sisters Rosensweig Summary

Act 1
Act 1 marks the beginning of the Rosensweig sisters’ family reunion in London. ‘‘Blame it on Jesse, Jesse the Sikh,’’ explains Pfeni, the fortysomething, eccentric world traveler, of her tardiness. Tess shares with Pfeni that she is listening to her mother’s college singing group as part of a school summer project. The project requires Tess to write a biography on her mother’s ‘‘early years.’’ Says Tess of the project, ‘‘It’s pretentious. I can’t wait to leave London and go back home to school.’’

When Pfeni asks her niece why she has not asked her mother if she can return to the United States, Tess replies that her mother is ‘‘the only American who is convinced that Harvard and Yale are second-rate institutions,’’ stating that ‘‘she [Sara] won’t even discuss it.’’ Tess confides that Sara worries she will become like Pfeni, an emotionally defensive woman, who compulsively travels to avoid her fear of commitment.

‘‘I just don’t know what you have in common with someone who dreams of selling radio parts,’’ declares Sara to Tess. Tess argues that ‘‘Tom comes from a perfectly balanced and normal family,’’ something her mother has ‘‘never managed to maintain,’’ and that Tom is desirable company compared to Sara’s dinner guest, ‘‘the socially acceptable, racist, sexist, and more than likely anti-Semitic Nicholas Pym.’’ Dismayed by the sense of determination Tess demonstrates to create a life in opposition to hers, Sara concedes by quietly extending an invitation to her daughter’s boyfriend. Pfeni points out that Tess is no different from either Sara or herself, in that, as justified as Sara was in her act of rebellion, ‘‘so maybe is Tessie.’’

Both Merv and Geoffrey plan to meet up with a ‘‘homeless delegation’’ to discuss the possibility of putting on a homeless benefit at the National as ‘‘a sort of story theatre.’’ When Geoffrey leaves Merv behind to meet up with the group at the Savoy Hotel, Pfeni also exits to find Tom and Tessie, and Merv settles into a conversation with Sara. They exchange personal histories, Merv pointing out to Sara that she’s ‘‘the first Jewish woman I’ve met to work in a Hong Kong bank.’’ Sara corrects Merv’s assertion, stating that she is ‘‘the first woman to run a Hong Kong bank, Mr. Kant.’’ Merv acknowledges her intention to avoid any reference to ethnicity by pointing out that his name ‘‘used to be Kantlowitz’’ and asks her if she would prefer him to leave.

Despite initial attempts to hide her discomfort, Sara challenges Merv’s increasing interest in her, particularly when he announces that Geoffrey has invited him to Sara’s birthday/dinner party. When she asks Merv just how intimate he is with Geoffrey, Merv coolly responds that he met Geoffrey when he was a show biz and novelty furrier and has maintained a friendship with him since. In an attempt to exclude Merv and ‘‘scare [him] away,’’ Sara takes yet another tack, mentioning the intimacy of the occasion and the less-than-kosher dish she is serving. Merv continues to talk, even after Sara has moved into the kitchen, commenting on her book collection and her musical tastes, impervious to her subtle manipulations.

‘‘It’s just like my mother to have a dinner party on the night the Soviet Union is falling apart,’’ remarks Tess. This statement becomes a pivotal point of the dinner conversation, as Tess attempts to goad Nicholas Pym, Sara’s dinner guest, into a discussion of the Lithuanian resistance. Whereas Nick is apt to dismiss the convictions of both Tess and Tom, Merv is quick to point out that the Lithuanian city was home to sixty-five thousand Jews. When Merv asserts that anti-Semitism has formed the core component for European nationalism, Nick responds in protest, but Sara surprisingly has no opinion. ‘‘I thought Tessie was Jewish,’’ interjects Tom. Sara again sidesteps the issue by replying, ‘‘She is. But Mr. Kant is really talking... » Complete The Sisters Rosensweig Summary