Alex Edelman’s Just For Us
by Alex Edelman
Directed by Alan Knoll
New Jewish Theatre
October 1, 2026
Jacob Flekier
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre
New Jewish Theatre has turned into a comedy club for its latest production, Alex Edelman’s Just For Us, directed by Alan Knoll and starring Jacob Flekier as the play’s writer, comedian Alex Edelman. While the show is unquestionably a comedy, it tackles a serious subject with sensitivity and empathy as well as humor. It provides a lot to think about as well as providing a platform for a fantastic solo performance and not a few genuine laughs in this ultimately upbeat story about one man’s choice to confront hatred directly and the effects that confrontation had on him in the process.
Walking into the theatre space for this production truly did feel like being in a comedy club, with Jayson Lawshee-Gress’s set and lighting setting the stage, and tables set up in the front for audience members. There’s also clever staging with use of stools to represent where characters in the narrative are sitting at various times, and the stage provides a great backdrop for Flekier’s amiable, energetic performance. There’s also strong work from sound designer Ethan Foss and costume designer Michele Friedman Siler in setting the overall mood and tone of the show, as we meet a comedian who is about to tell his intriguing, funny story that also has degrees of sadness.
The show, originally performed by Edelman himself in various venues including a Broadway run, has a narrative but also takes several diversions to talk about Alex’s background and upbringing, and particularly his devout Jewish family and the values his parents raised him with and also modeled as Alex grew up. These diversions provide some of the more memorable moments of the show, especially the story about how his family celebrated Christmas one year to support a lonely friend of Alex’s mother’s who had nowhere else to go. There are also a few seemingly unrelated jokes thrown in from time to time, but these get tied into the overall story quite well by the end.
The main story follows Alex, who has been occasionally harassed on social media by anti-Semitic posters, as he makes a Twitter/X list of the harassers and finds out through that list about a gathering of white supremacists that is coming up soon in Queens; so Alex decides to go. The descriptions of the event are vivid and well-portrayed by the energetic, personable Flekier, as Alex finds himself in an apartment surrounded by a group of white nationalists who share their grievances with one another, including obvious hatred and distrust for Jewish people. Alex describes and portrays several of these people clearly, including Chelsea, whom Alex finds attractive, the suspicious Matt, who calls himself “Cortez” when he introduces himself to Alex, and an older lady who is fond of putting together giant jigsaw puzzles. Through the course of the meeting, Alex is careful to not reveal his Jewish identity, and even manages to attract the admiration of some of the attenders, until inevitably, the truth is revealed and the reactions are not exactly surprising. I won’t reveal too much because I don’t want to spoil, but the fascinating part of the story is its focus on empathy, bringing into play the values with which Alex was raised and talks about in his various anecdotes. It doesn’t downplay the dangers of hatred and anti-Semitism, but it does raise ideas of how to confront such hatred with thoughtfulness and empathy.
At the center of this intriguing, hilarious, and thoughtful show is Flekier’s first-rate performance as Alex. Flekier has fantastic stage presence, energy, and comic timing, making the stories he tells all the more engrossing as the show goes along. It’s a stellar performance by a talented performer who has performed excellently at NJT before, although here he is at his best. It’s a marvelous comic and heartwarming turn.
Alex Edelman’s Just For Us is a fine showcase for a supremely talented performer, well-directed and well-paced. It’s a fascinating show that looks at confronting hatred with empathy, coming across ultimately as an upbeat, optimistic look at the values that Alex learned from his Jewish upbringing. It’s another great show from this consistently excellent company.
Jacob Flekier
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre
New Jewish Theatre is presenting Alex Edelman’s Just For Us at the JCC’s Wool Studio Theatre until October 18, 2026