‘Just for Us’ – Written and performed by Alex Edelman. Directed by Adam Brace. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Through April 23
by Mike Hoban
You would think that a man with the name ‘Alex Edelman’ would be the least likely candidate to attend a meeting of White nationalists, even less so if you knew his full name was David Yosef Shimon ben Elazar Reuven Alex Halevi Edelman – of the Brookline Edelmans. But for the comedian bearing that name, that real-life meeting with the 21st-century version of Klan-lite is the centerpiece of his riotous one-person show ‘Just for Us.’ The solo show, his third, has been running in NYC, Washington DC, and London since December of 2021 and is now receiving its two-week hometown run before it hits Broadway in June.
Edelman, who was raised as an Orthodox Jew but seems to have drifted a bit from the Tribe – much to the chagrin of his father, Elazar – has been performing comedy since he was 15. His Dad is an MIT professor and a doctor (who helped invent the artificial heart); his mom is a lawyer, and his brother represented Israel in the 2018 Winter Olympics, although, as Edelman hilariously points out, in a sport that barely qualifies as a sport (Bobsled/Skeleton). His family and upbringing are the subjects of most of his comedy, and he weaves those vignettes (some of which are recycled bits from his standup) seamlessly into his encounter with the White nationalists. As you may have heard, the White nationalists aren’t particularly fond of Jews, blaming them for everything from the Great Financial Crisis to the cancellation of Hee-Haw, and also don’t consider Jews to be “white” enough, which creates an extra level of angst for Edelman, who’s Dad doesn’t consider him to be “Jewish” enough.
As good as Edelman is at writing and delivering jokes (“I’m from this really racist part of Boston, called Boston”), he’s an even better storyteller, punching up each vignette with witty observations and a ton of well-orchestrated callbacks. His true story of his Orthodox family celebrating Christmas to help out a gentile friend is a scream, as are other family stories. He’s reminiscent of Woody Allen from his pre-filmmaking standup days in the sixties, and Allen’s brilliant routine on shooting a moose could have been a template for Edelman’s show. He’s a lot more animated, though, and when he gets into the more dramatic elements of his storytelling, he stalks the bare stage like a cross between a drunk on Adderall and Pee Wee Herman, although at rest, he’s more like a nerdier version of Matthew Broderick.
At the heart of the show is his encounter with the White nationalists. After becoming entangled with them on social media (which is a very funny bit in of itself), he arrives at the apartment where the meeting is being held and nearly immediately falls for a cute antisemitic young woman. To say more would be giving too much away, but suffice it to say that the story takes some unpredictable turns.
Much of the show is centered around Edelman’s identity as a Jew, and while it helps to be Jewish or even “Jew-ish” – as George Santos likes to say – it’s not a requirement to catch 95% of the jokes and references. Much of the material is absurd and universal, and at 34, Edelman is a seasoned pro. Which doesn’t mean he’s punching the clock. Edelman had to stop more than once after cracking himself up, and it appears to be genuine, so he’s doing something to keep the material fresh. The show runs at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA through April 23, but a Broadway send-off show has been added on May 20, 2023, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre before heading to Broadway’s Hudson Theatre for a limited engagement in June. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/shows-and-events/alex-edelman-just-for-us/
