Birthright (MCC Theater)

By Harry Forbes

Six young adults who met on a Birthright heritage trip to Israel in 2006 reunite at the Annandale, Virginia, home of one of them, Chaya, and then again in 2014 and, finally, in 2024 in Jonathan Spector’s provocative, moving, and often funny play Birthright. Over the years, their individual outlooks on life change, as do their perspectives on Israel and its relationship to the Palestinian situation.

As the play’s publicity material puts it, its themes are “the combustible dynamics of modern friendship and chosen family: the longing to understand each other, the fear of saying the wrong thing, and the pain of realizing that love does not always guarantee agreement.”

As with Spector’s last play, the Tony Award-winning Eureka Day, which centered on the fractious interactions among members of a school board, Birthright leavens its serious issues with plenty of humor and humanity. And, as with that play, the production benefits from a wonderful ensemble cast that handles the frequently overlapping, naturalistic dialogue with aplomb. The play was commissioned and developed by Miami New Drama and received its world premiere there in April 2025.

The cast includes Zoë Winters as the aforementioned Chaya, who hopes to preserve the Jewish camaraderie forged during their trip; Molly Bernard as the passionate activist Izzy; Molly Ranson as the romantically inclined Alona, who, of the group, most wants to move to Israel; and Liz Larsen as Chaya’s mother, Deborah, who supplies some comic relief before later bringing a touch of pathos.

The male contingent comprises Hale Appleman as Lev, the most spiritual member of the group; Nate Mann as the relatively placid aspiring musician Emerson; and Eli Gelb as Noah, a somewhat detached observer whose writing will eventually bring him success on the web.

Spector’s characters are beautifully drawn and are not merely mouthpieces for their particular points of view, especially when it comes to Israel. The lion’s share of those conflicts occurs between Izzy, who sympathizes with Palestinian concerns, and Chaya, who strenuously argues for the justification of Israel’s actions. But even in their disagreements, the issues of friendship and identity remain paramount.

Over the course of the three acts, points of view shift, with several characters undergoing major transformations. The cast is superb at bringing these characters to life over the lengthy three-hour-and-20-minute running time. In terms of both length and characterization, I was reminded of Stereophonic, especially since one of that play’s leads, Eli Gelb, has a major, though quite different, role here.

If you have any qualms about the play’s length, rest assured that the action never drags. And with two intermissions, it hardly feels like an endurance test.

Director Teddy Bergman orchestrates the shifting dynamics with great skill and draws the best from his cast. Scott Pask’s scenic design, illuminated by Natasha Katz, creates a believable environment in the Annandale home and its adjoining terrace, complete with hot tub.

David Bengali’s witty projection design showcases Spector’s frequent use of social-media messages, which were such an amusing and telling element of Eureka Day.

(MCC Theater, 511 W 52nd Street; mcctheater.org; through August 23)

Photo by Emilio Madrid: Zoe Winters, Eli Gelb, Molly Ranson, Nate Mann, Hale-Appleman

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