David Yosef Shimon Ben Elazar Reuven Alex Halevi Edelman also known as Alex Edelman
begins his one-man show with a humorous anecdote of Koko the Gorilla demonstrating his newly acquired American Sign Language skills; highlighting the extent to which he will commit for a laugh--and commit he does in Just for Us. The show recounts his journey to a white supremacist, anti-Semite meeting in Queens.
Edelman decides to attend a Neo-Nazi meeting in Astoria after he views an open invitation on Twitter from a group he had previously created of Anti-Semites. After tweeting derogatory remarks about him, he collected their handles and put them in a group, he cleverly labeled "Jewish National Fund Contributors" —brilliant! This new tweet piques his interest and he sets out for what he imagines will be a face-off--an infiltration of sorts.
When he steps off the train his initial bravery has worn off however, he must continue with his mission. He did travel all the way to Queens, after all. Once there, he meets Chelsea, a white supremacist who could contradictorily become his girlfriend or so he thinks. He mingles and attempts to fit in all while hiding his Jewish identity, which is rather difficult to do. His identity is ingrained in him; he can’t simply turn it off, he tells the audience. The show continues switching between stories of Edelman’s childhood and his tumultuous meeting with the Anti-Semites.
He tells entertaining stories of his Olympian brother, his parents and having a Hanukkah- Christmas one year. He is a captivating storyteller with a knack for satirizing details. By this time, he is deep in stealth mode with the white supremacists, learning about their love/hate relationship with Prince Harry. He’s even had a conversation with a member who refused to use his real name and goes by "Cortez" that is until a fellow Neo-Nazi walks by and blurts out his name. This brings the mingling to an end and the real meeting begins. They gather in a circle and all seems to go well until his identity comes into question. At this point, Edelman refers to his tried and true saying, “Can you believe it?” Their doubts are confirmed and a barrage of confrontational comments is thrown his way. His attempt at assimilation has come to a speedy yet comedic halt.
Just for Us is a must-see show filled with witty, punchy humor which at times borders on the
absurd. Edelman’s ironic and charismatic nature is engaging and refreshing.
"Just for Us"
Written and Performed by Alex Edelman
Presented by Mike Birbiglia
Directed by Adam Brace
The performance schedule for the January 24 – February 19 run is as follows: Mondays – Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 3 pm and 7 pm.
Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street, New York City)
For tickets and more information: https://www.justforusshow.com/ or https://www.cherrylanetheatre.org
Yani Perez, M.F.A, is a poet, playwright, translator and educator. Her plays have been presented in various theaters in the United States such as La Mama and Yale University as well as internationally in Bogotá, Colombia. She works at IATI Theater, one of the oldest Latinx theaters in NYC. She is currently working on translations of Latinx artists in hopes of introducing them to English-speaking audiences.