Larry Rinkel:
19 Oct. 2018
“
"New York is so confusing." Rae Binstock's quatrilingual, dual time-frame "drama américana (en zvey aktn)" subtly depicts the marital/relationship struggles, employment difficulties, and cultural clashes of Lower East Siders struggling to assimilate and speaking Yiddish, Chinese, and Spanish (supertitles optional) as well as English, both today and 100 years ago. Reminiscent of Stoppard's approach in "Arcadia," Binstock sets various scenes simultaneously in the present and past, suggesting both parallels and contrasts. Among my favorite parts are when Jewish Yetta and Chinese Li communicate haltingly, speaking their own languages and writing in limited English about Li's sick little boy. ”