"Sometimes the very old tales are the very most true ones," elderly Jewish dry-cleaner Mordy confides to the audience at the beginning of "Natasha and the Coat."
It's an apt introduction for that oldest of stories — boy meets girl — in a show getting its world premiere at Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company through May 13.
Playwright Deborah Stein takes a pair of mismatched lovers and sets them smack dab in the middle of the Hasidic Jewish community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Natasha (Miriam Schwartz) is new to the neighborhood, having just graduated from college and landed a coveted internship with a vintage clothing wholesaler. Yossi (Avi Aharoni) has spent his entire life there, working in his family's dry-cleaning business. With his traditional black suit, side curls and ritual fringes, he seems to come not just from a different world from Natasha but a different century.
When Natasha spills coffee on a valuable coat, she asks Yossi to clean it before her boss can find out. His job transforms the garment, leading her to bring him more and more work. The two forge an unlikely romance, while Yossi's parents look on with disapproval and Natasha's boss grows increasingly suspicious.
Stein's strong characterizations and humorous dialogue overcome some unlikely plot devices, while director Miriam Monasch and a capable cast lend warmth to this sweetly funny tale. Michael Hoover's set ably accommodates scenes that shift regularly between the dry-cleaning shop and the clothing "atelier." Liz Josheff Busa's props and Lisa Conley's costumes add color, context and some stunning vintage dresses to the mix.
Much of the play's energy derives from the study in contrasts between Natasha and Yossi. Schwartz embodies the brash confidence and flighty, nervous energy of a young woman giddily poised to jump into the adventure of adulthood. Yossi, on the other hand, wavers between worlds. Aharoni beautifully conveys this tension in a scene in which Yossi trades his suit for jeans and a T-shirt, admiring himself in a mirror with shy wonder.
The other three cast members offer solid support. Kim Kivens is delightfully nasty as Natasha's steely-eyed and egotistical boss, positively quivering with disdain and ever ready with an acid remark or a cold stare. Muriel Bonertz is equally intimidating as Yossi's mother, a woman determined to stand as a bulwark against change, while Charles Numrich's Mordy provides a softening influence as Yossi's father, firm in his faith but tormented by his son's dilemma.
Overall, this production's strong acting and warmhearted charm open up an unfamiliar world while providing a unique twist on a very old story.
Lisa Brock is a Twin Cities critic.
