The Wanderers
by Anna Ziegler
Directed by Robert Quinlan
The New Jewish Theatre
September 11, 2025
Bryce A. Miller, Jade Cash
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The New Jewish Theatre
One of the marks of great theatre is the ability to explore and inspire deep emotions, for the actors and the characters they play, and also for the audience. A good example of this is my experience of watching the New Jewish Theatre’s latest production, Anna Ziegler’s The Wanderers, directed by Robert Quinlan. This play, following two parallel stories of married couples, runs the gamut of emotions, as I did watching it, following the twists, turns, and various attributes and decisions of the characters, not being entirely sure what to think until I saw it come together as a remarkably thoughtful and challenging, with some truly excellent performances.
This is a play with a few twists, but the set-up is fairly simple–we see alternating scenes of two married couples, one in the 1970s and 80s, and another starting in 2015. The earlier couple, Esther (Jade Cash) and Schmuli (Bryce A. Miller) are members of a strict Jewish sect called Satmar Hasidism, and their first scene shows their wedding night, when they are alone together for what is apparently the first time. The later couple, Abe (Joel Moses) and Sophie (Wendy Renée Greenwood), are a pair of writers who grew up together, and we first see Sophie reflecting on their relationship and a major decision she has made regarding it. Their timeline then goes back a bit to explore how their relationship got to that moment of decision, and in alternating scenes we see both couples struggle with community expectations, parenting, the ups and downs of their personal relationships, and differences in beliefs and opinions, and fairly soon learn what the connection is between the two couples, which is fairly obvious from early on. We also see Julia (Maggie Wininger), a famous movie star who has attended one of Abe’s book readings, and an email conversation between the two, which is portrayed in something of an otherworldly way, with lights and sound effects that lend an air of mystery as Abe increasingly bears his soul to the woman on the other end of the computer, whom he seems to hold as something of an ideal, as opposed to reality of his own marriage and family commitments, and while growing more and more distant from Sophie. Meanwhile, Schmuli and Esther navigate their own struggles, as he deals with pressures from the stricter members of his family and community as she becomes increasingly curious about the outside world.
This is an especially well-structured story, with a few twists and revelations, and developments that go the way you may be expecting, and others that don’t. I found myself getting angry at the characters (especially Abe) quite a bit, and wondering if Sophie was going to be given much to say because a lot of time she seemed to be hovering in the background, but in the last third or so of the play, Sophie is given her moments. Everyone is excellent, with Moses perfectly cast as the alternately charming and self-absorbed Abe, and Greenwood a strong foil as the persistent Sophie, and Cash and Miller at their best as the the conflicted but obviously caring Esther and Schmuli. Some of the play’s most profound moments are between these two, as the tension that grows between them is palpable and saddening. Wininger is also a standout as Julia, who hovers in something of an ethereal space in the personification of her emails with Abe, as something of a cross between a real person and an idealistic fantasy. The chemistry is strong all around, giving energy to intelligence and gradually building momentum of the script.
The stage layout is intriguing, with the performance area set up as a long strip in the middle, with Esther and Schmuli’s area on one side and Abe and Sophie’s on the other, with characters occasionally venturing out into the undefined space in the middle. Reiko Huffman’s set is detailed and well-defined, and well-lit by Jayson Lawshee, whose lighting design lends alternate airs of mystery and realism, as the plot demands. There’s also excellent work from sound designer Amanda Werre, and meticulously detailed costumes by Michele Friedman Siler that add to the storytelling as well as helping define the characters.
This isn’t a long play, running at approximately an hour and 45 minutes without intermission, but there’s a lot going on in that time span, which in the world of the play is years and decades of emotion, connection, distance, and drama. It’s a thoughtful exploration of relationships, richly portrayed by a superb cast of excellent local performers. It’s sure to provoke a lot of thought, and even some emotional investment in these well-drawn characters and their story.
Wendy Renée Greenwood, Joel Moses
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The New Jewish Theatre
The New Jewish Theatre is presenting The Wanderers at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre until September 28, 2025
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