Deb Margolin, the playwright of “Imagining Madoff,” says that she “did no factual research, no biographical research, on the life of Madoff.” Yet she has created an astonishingly credible creature in Theater J’s production of the play, a human being who could easily be Bernard Madoff, a no-nonsense businessman who understands only the literal world. ButMargolin’s Madoff is not a conventionally greedy,ruthless manbent on destroying lives.In Rick Foucheux’s clearly etched portrayal, this Madoff isnot obsessed simply with making money, but with catching something that “moved fast,” like the elusive salmon he dreamed of catching as a child.
The play takes place in August 2009, three weeks after Madoff entered North Carolina’s Butner Federal Correctional Complex. Madoff’s cell is suggested in Lauren Helpern’s set by a sunken well set into thepolished wooden floor of thelibrary of Madoff’s client, Solomon Galkin (Mike Nussbaum). At times, Madoff is sitting or standing in his cell, explaining himself to an unseen biographer.
| Onstage |
| ‘Imagining Madoff’ |
| Where: Theater J, Washington DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW |
| When: Through Sept. 25 |
| Info: $35 to $60; 800-494-TIXS; theater.org |
But most of the play unfoldsas a memory in Galkin’s libraryin the wee hours of the morning,where both men reveal their beliefs, fascinations and obsessions. Galkin, who survived the Holocaust and who comforts himself with reading Jewish texts and writing poetry, reads to Madoff from the Talmud and Midrash. He argues fine points of religiouslaw and, in a particularly lyrical passage,tries to make Madoff understand the meaning and method of poetry. He fails.
It’s during that night that Madoff, after plenty oflively talk andscotch,very nearly confesseshis crime.
Representing everything Madoff doesn’t stand for, namely empathy and the world of the spirit, the fictional Galkin is a fascinating, nuanced character, Madoff’s moral polar opposite. Whether they are discussing Abraham, baseball or sexual desire, Galkin’s is the voice of compassion and wisdom. His arguments are sometimes based on Jewish law, sometimes common sense and sometimes a playful spirit. Nussbaum provides an essential lightness of tone in the role.
There’s a third character in the play, Madoff’s secretary (Jennifer Mendenhall), who testifies regardingher role in Madoff’s office. Mendenhall is agonizingly effective as she stammers, describes Madoff as a “quite polite,” “kind” man, and cries when she realizes that she was part of Madoff’s scheme. Mendenhall’s character, like Nussbaum’s,raises the complicated issue of the nature of trust.
“Imagining Madoff” is directed skillfully by Alexandra Aron, who keeps the action moving swiftly, Dan Covey’s lighting design clarifies the play’s sudden shifts in time and place.
Theater J’s season is subtitled “Brilliant Fictions — Shattering Facts.” With its insight into the factof Madoff’s irresponsibility and the fiction of his conscience, “Imagining Madoff” is an excellent way to start this season.
