Playing 'House,' Waging War

Doug Goldstein (Paul Meshejian, left) and brother Lou (David Howey) have different views of Israel as homeland in "House, Divided."

Such is the stance of localite Larry Loebell's "House, Divided," in deed, a kitchen-sink drama; in reality, a war zone of Jewish content and contention.

The play, receiving its world premiere at the hands of InterAct Theatre Company, now until June 22 at the Adrienne in Center City, centers on the Goldsteins -- a Philly fisticuffs-of-a-family whose tug-of-war about Israel lands them on opposite sides of the living room, and eventually extends the frayed rope of nerves to their sons.

The fractious feeling of this "House, Divided" comes through the internecine battles between two brothers -- Lou and Doug -- whose sons Paul and Oren sign off on their own warfare that fetes faith and relies on religion to keep the firefights going.

Winner of a 2006 new play commission in Jewish theater from the National Foundation of Jewish Culture, Loebell lobs hand grenades of gritty arguments about peace and pieces of the Jewish homeland that detonate with news of each successful suicide bomber. Rites and wrongs of Jewish life get the full "House" treatment by the poker-faced ("It's written in balance") award-winning playwright, former literary manager for the company which is premiering his latest piece.

The Mount Airy resident mounts the problems facing Jews divided on political issues associated with Israel in a full-blown drama now after his approach started out mono-a-monologue.

Doug Goldstein (Paul Meshejian) and his son (Dan Hodge) try their hands at war games.

"The play actually started out as a monologue two years ago, with my concept a play about a family's loss of religion, refinding it and returning to Israel."

It was at a different stage than that which now occupies center-stage at the Adrienne: "My first draft was poetic, but not particularly dramatic," says Loebell.

It is now. The balancing act was in getting it all fair and balanced.

"I wanted it all balanced," he continues, "where you saw characters who felt love for Israel. I found the binary vision where Israel is the oppressor, Palestinians the oppressed" an oppressive way to instill drama.

Does it all hit home for the local writer? Loebell concedes that he is "an anti-war guy" who also happens to "have relatives living in the West Bank."

He is banking on others associating with what he has left over from his left-leaning college days at Temple University.

"I have what a lot of American lefties have about Israel -- we believe saner voices have to figure out how to make peace, while recognizing that Israel is under constant threat from its neighbors."

Having visited Israel in recent years, the playwright understands that politics played out in polyglot languages can be lost in translation. What he is attempting to do with "House, Divided" is what he hopes all good political theater can do -- get audiences' undivided attention by "poking you where you live."

And since he lives in Mount Airy, "that is where I placed the play's action," he says.

For a playwright whose writings also include putting words in the mouths of the original U.S. rebels with a cause -- Loebell wrote the National Constitution Center "living news" monologues -- he offers news that today's political news isn't all that appeals to him.

"What I really want," says the playwright playfully, "is to write a fluffy comedy next."

For post-performance talks on "House, Divided" at the Adrienne, see: www. InterActTheatre.org.