Be a Mensch

by Daniel Takacs

When the eldest son and breadwinner of a poor Midwestern family is accepted into his dream college, he must beg the adults in his life for the small fee he needs to enroll, but they have no intention of letting him escape.

When the eldest son and breadwinner of a poor Midwestern family is accepted into his dream college, he must beg the adults in his life for the small fee he needs to enroll, but they have no intention of letting him escape.

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Be a Mensch

Recommended by

  • David Hansen: Be a Mensch

    Takacs has created a modern sit-com with Be a Mensch, a Jewish Glass Menagerie (complete with fragile unicorn) in which the eldest son is also faced to choose between his family and self-determination, dominated by a larger-than-life absent father figure. Only in this case Abram is not dreamily self-involved as Tom Wingfield is, but harshly realistic. It's a coming of age story, one with a much more satisfying, if troubling, conclusion than Tennessee Williams's memory play. Highly recommended!

    Takacs has created a modern sit-com with Be a Mensch, a Jewish Glass Menagerie (complete with fragile unicorn) in which the eldest son is also faced to choose between his family and self-determination, dominated by a larger-than-life absent father figure. Only in this case Abram is not dreamily self-involved as Tom Wingfield is, but harshly realistic. It's a coming of age story, one with a much more satisfying, if troubling, conclusion than Tennessee Williams's memory play. Highly recommended!

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Boston University, Year 2017