Mark Weston's Harry & Eddie gives us the friendship between Harry Truman and the Jewish Eddie Jacobson who served together in World War I, became partners in a men's clothing shop in Missouri after the war, and remained lifelong friends - even after Truman became President of The United States. At a critical moment, Jacobson was able to get Truman to meet Chaim Weizmann, the acclaimed scientist and Jewish leader, which probably influenced Truman as he immediately recognized Israel when they declared themselves to be a state in 1948. Well produced, with historical slides nicely illustrating the years that pass, and good lighting and sets by Josh Iacovelli, Harry & Eddieis basically a one-man show. As directed by Bob Spiotto, Rick Grossman offers an overblown performance in which he stops for laughs that aren't there. Grossman, a veteran of Yiddish Theatre, settles down as the play progresses, but all emotions are demonstrated (perhaps in Yiddish Theater style from many years ago), and at the end, Grossman moved himself to tears. Still, the simplistic historical material is mildly interesting.
Harry Truman is played convincingly by Daniel Hicks who not only gives a first-rate personification of Truman but is emotionally totally present in the short scenes he does with Eddie.
Jacobson's wife is played by Lydia Gladstone, a costume designer and chorus singer in musicals who seems to be a very nice lady. Would that they had hired a more convincing actress for this very tiny role. Although the Holocaust descriptions in the play give us nothing we don't already know, the unlikely friendship between these two men is a story that should be told, and it holds our interest as it unfolds, especially as facets of Truman are revealed by Hicks. Two vital pieces of history are left out, however. 1. The British moved out, leaving Israel open to attack by five surrounding Arab countries, and 2. The five countries did attack. Truman's recognition helped Israel survive.
