Joseph Reed Hayes, playwright
A comedy about real life (or a drama with some very funny bits) about an elderly Polish man's last days with his favorite nephew — a warm, touching tale of life, death, laughter, tears, storytelling, secrets, being Jewish, revelations about jazz and Louis Armstrong ... and glass pants.
A LITTLE CRAZY:
Comedy/drama. Full length 90 minutes. Two male actors: one playing mid-80s; one playing mid-30s. Can be done with minimal set.Original music written by Brian Groder.
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A Little Crazy
Every family has an Uncle Avram — the holder of the secrets, the storyteller, the heart. Audiences connect with A Little Crazy on many levels, whether it's the memory of a distant relative or the echo of a half-forgotten story. They laugh (a lot), and they cry, renewed in the idea that one generation can connect with another, and that regardless of the accent, words can change lives.
The story developed from playwright Joseph Reed Hayes' research for a series of plays about a family of klezmer musicians in Russia in the 19th century.
Now available for regional productions, A Little Crazy had its world premiere at The Orlando International Fringe Festival, May 11-19, 2002.
Part 4 of the Avram Chronicles
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Orlando International Fringe Festival 2002
Paul M. Wegman
Matt Curless
Paula Rossman, director -
Bill Whitney Senior Players, Portland Oregon 2003
Bob Rindt
Don Barney
Bill Whitney, director -
The House Theater Project, Orlando FL 2012
Adrian LePeltier
Scott Silson
Lulu Picart, director
Christine Barron, music
development grant provided by
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House Theater Project 2012
Winner, United Arts of Central Florida Artist Development Grant 2012
Bill Whitney Senior Players Portland Oregon 2003
Finalist American Theatre Co-op Fall 2003 Contest for Original Full-Length Plays
Orlando International Fringe Festival 2002
Reading, Eyewitness Theatre, Manchester England 2001 -
Orlando Sentinel
"Writer Joseph Reed Hayes has two nuggets of gold in A Little Crazy, a quiet little two-man comedy inspired by memories of his Russian Jewish grandfather. One is the character of Avram Mordecai Saltzman, who brings back to life the entire generation of immigrants who came to this country with the ways of the old country firmly entrenched. And the other is Orlando actor Paul Wegman, who turns Avram into a charmer who deserves many long and happy days. Hayes' work is appealing and sometimes downright lyrical. And Wegman makes it dance." -
Orlando Weekly
"Playwright Joseph Reed Hayes captured the essence of the Jewish spirit in A Little Crazy, a beautifully written and acted drama that was among the best of the 28 shows I saw."
Orlando Sentinel
"I always love the Fringe Festival ... Favorite playwright: Joe Hayes, author-author of A Little Crazy."
United Arts
""A very innovative use of technology to expand the definition of live performance."" -
Ink19
"There's no better comedian than a skeptical Jewish ancestor, and Wegman rolls out the stream of stories in the script with relish. Curless is a great foil. It's a sweet, funny story, lacking any malice, and not that much translation is needed for the goyim. Mazeltov!" -
Eyewitness Theatre
"That the [Eyewitness Theatre] reading was such a success considering its very American and particularly Jewish themes and humour is in no small part owing to the writing's lyrical structure. The actors found it delightfully challenging to work with. The dialogue was both native and universal at the same time and what impressed me most of all about the script was the way its message had an appeal to a wide audience crossing age and cultural boundaries with consummate ease." — Peter McGarry, Artistic Director, Eyewitness Theatre, England -
Watermark
"A Little Crazy focuses on the oftentimes turbulent, sometimes humorous relationship between an entertaining 84-year-old Polish immigrant and his more serious-minded great-nephew. Rife with Jewish humor, klezmer music and the comic talents of Paul M. Wegman (the artist formerly known as Miss P), the production dishes up biting comedy and fuzzy-warm drama all on a bed of original music written by New York composer Brian Groder."