Weather 
When a Jewish family of parents and grown up children gather for a vacation together in the Caribbean resort in Turks and Caicos, the beautiful sunny skies soon change into a dark, wet and windy storm that is escalating into a hurricane.
The setting is the principle scene of playwright S. Asher Gelman’s two act drama “The Zionists: A Family Storm”, a Miami New Drama world premiere production that is running now through May 10 at Colony Theatre in Miami Beach.
The beautiful setting created by Miami New Drama scenic designer Adam Koch that changes from a light, sunny day to a dark scene correlates with the changing moods of the Rosenberg family who gather in 2024 to escape from existing tensions between family members.
In several flashbacks into the past, the audience gets a deep understanding of what led to the Rosenbergs meeting in the Caribbean resort.
Both the matriarch Ruth (played by actress Joanna Glushak) and patriarch Mitchell (Avi Hoffman) are seen prior to the family gathering planning the event and discussing the pros and cons of a family reunion in The Caribbean,
The intentions of Mitchell and Ruth start out positive with good natured ribbing between all members of the family when they arrive. The good feelings are shared by Mitchell and Ruth’s three children: daughter Bex (Dani Stoller), her wife Dana (Shiri Alon), elder son David (Gregg Weiner), his wife Maria (Jamie Ann Romero), and younger son Aaron (Coby Getzug) and his husband Zephyr (William DeMerritt).
Despite the good feelings, the underlying tension between relatives, with the central focus of tension between Rosenberg sons Aaron and David unfolding as the stormy weather begins to escalate.
At issue is the distinct differences and personal feelings between both sons that centers on the current Israel-Palestinian conflict. David, an ardent pro-Israeli Zionist and expectant father, is angered about Aaron, a former drug addict, being sympathetically pro-Palestinian.
The audience comes to learn by the end of act one that it is not only the logical and political differences that divide Aaron and David. David stated that Aaron manipulated him to financially support Aaron’s pro-Palestnian organization “Abraham’s Sons”. David despised Aaron for his dire enthusiasm and passion for an organization that supports the destruction of Israel,
The tension escalated as the weather continued to deteriorate in act one. What starts as a growing feud between Aaron and David becomes a fiery battle as Aaron pleads for David and the other Rosenberg relatives to understand the Palestinian cause claiming that Israel is “an apartheid state”.
But Aaron’s explanations to support the Palestinian cause turn hollow with the Rosenberg family. Each member of the family, one by one, used logical and emotional explanations to explain to Aaron why Israel exists and to remind Aaron that he was raised as a Jew who loved Israel.
Maria, who came to America from Cuba before marrying David, makes a plea to Aaron to understand what it means to be uprooted and move to a new land, as Jewish Holocaust survivors had to do when they moved to Israel in 1948.
Dana, who fled an Arab nation as a Jew to the safety of Israel, also pleaded for Aaron to understand how wrong he is about supporting the Palestinians.
By the end of act one, neither Aaron, David or other members of the Rosenberg family changed their viewpoints. But there were a lot of changes in the rhetoric by act two. The tensions of the family, especially the conflict between Aaron and David, went deeper as they both accused each other of manipulating each other, their parents and everything that was treasured in the Rosenberg family.
Before the end of the play, a climax occurred as the wind was howling and the lightning increased. Aaron and David came to blows as the rest of the family, especially Mitchell and Ruth, appealed for calm as the storm turned more violent. As the play ends with a surprise twist, the audience learns the consequences of not being able to solve a conflict.
“The Zionists: A Family Storm” is a powerful drama that illustrates how difficult it is for a family with good intentions to resolve a conflict, no matter how much they loved each other.. Each of the eight member cast was superb, especially in projecting their feelings and viewpoints..
Actors Coby Getzug and Gregg Weiner were especially memorable in their scenes as the audience pondered what their fates will be. Director Chloe Treat, and the technical staff of Miami New Drama are to be commended for creating a realistic storm that looked like a hurricane in the making.
The Miami New Drama production of playwright Asher Gelman’s two act drama “The Zionists: A Family Storm” is running now through May 10 at Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Tickets range from $40-$110. For showtimes, tickets and more information, call 305-674-1040 or go to miaminewdrama.org
