Meyer Jacobs, who has had a stroke, gives his son Mark and his new caregiver, Ruzika, a hard time about things–medication, money, diet–you name it, Meyer is determined to do it all his own way. He’s also unshakeable in his long-held opinions. Meyer lights yarzheit candles in memory of his wife, Laney, tells stories about the past, and hopes the world will come around to his way of thinking.
Meanwhile, Mark struggles in an unhappy marriage, and Jackie, Meyer’s daughter, hasn’t spoken to him for years. Ruzika, we learn, has family still-struggling in war-torn Serbia. And Devon, the boy downstairs, keeps bothering the old man with questions. Sooner or later, something’s got to give… and when it does, Meyer will find that life has a few surprises left in store for him.
Alex Poch-Goldin’s moving, funny, and brilliant new play explores conflict and the hard choices we must make to find peace in our lives–and in our world.
About the Author
Alex Poch-Goldin is an acclaimed playwright and actor whose work has been produced internationally. His plays include Anybody and Nobody, Jim and Shorty, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers, Cringeworthy, Internazionale, The Life of Jude, The Right Road to Pontypool, This Hotel, Yahrzeit, and This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, adapted from the work of Tadeusz Borowski. Cringeworthy and This Hotel were both nominated for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, and the French version of This Hotel (L’Hotel) won the 2005 CBC/Le Droit prize for best production in Ottawa. His play Yahrzeit won the Toronto Jewish Playwriting Award and will receive its world premiere in Germany prior to touring Europe. Alex was commissioned by CBC Radio to write The Death of Simon Pinchuk, which was recorded and broadcast nationally. He has also developed an orginal television series, Rosedale, in addition to adapting his play Jim and Shorty for broadcast on Bravo Television. Alex lives in Winnipeg.
