'Assisted Living?' shows writer's growth

By Marty Rosen
Special to The Courier-Journal

One of the great pleasures of observing the Louisville theater scene over the last few years has been the opportunity to watch Juergen K. Tossman's progress as a playwright.

As Bunbury Theatre's producing/artistic director, Tossman has had the resources and creativity to pen a nice handful of works.

And though Bunbury has been dark for more than a year while making the transition to a new home in the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center, Tossman's new play, "Assisted Living?" which opened Wednesday at the Bomhard Theater, is evidence that he hasn't been idle during the hiatus.

If anything, he has taken advantage of the time to hone his craft. Earlier works, such as "Salvage Yard" and "Uncle Smiley's Coming Home," were charming but extravagant, populated by sprawling casts with enough eccentric characters and themes to populate a Russian novel.

"Assisted Living?" is more disciplined in its means and more rewarding in its effect.

A couple of old Jews, Klaus Klurman (Matt Orme) and Hyman Goldstein (Tossman) are Holocaust survivors living out their days in the Havenrest Assisted Living Facility. Klurman is a passionate former actor who likes to watch tapes of his films; Goldstein is a former accountant who likes to do things "by the numbers."

The characters might have stepped right out of a Yiddish vaudeville sketch, and formidable performances -- down to the last accent and mannerism -- give the production enormous comic appeal.

Nearly plotless, the play is a slice-of-life exploration of Tossman's favorite concerns, especially the comic consequences of communication breakdowns.

Here, Goldstein is more than slightly deaf and Klurman slips in and out of dementia, occasionally mistaking the people around him for others in his life, or turning the nursing home into an acting class.

Adding to the mix is nursing home assistant Leroy Pennington (Bakari Jamal King), a young African American whose hip-hop-laced slang throws the men for a loop until they start "gettin' jiggy with it," learn that "dawg" can be a term of endearment and generally start bonding with the younger man.

If that weren't enough, Diana Farley (Fran Levy Westerman), another resident, is a charming old lady with Tourette's syndrome.

As the residents and Leroy find themselves forming unlikely bonds (and sharing the occasional contraband -- schnapps and Limburger cheese), Christine Fink (Rita Hight), the stiff, priggish administrator of the home, intervenes and sparks fly.

Folks familiar with Tossman's earlier works will be pleased to see his penchant for didactic tangents almost, though not entirely, eliminated. Those who never found their way to the old Bunbury will find this a delightful introduction to a fine independent theater company.

For more information about Bunbury Theatre, call (502) 585-5306. For more information about artist spaces at Mellwood, call (502) 895-3650.