A Jewish Comedian Walks Into a Theater in Minnesota

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Opinions – "A Jewish Comedian Walks Into a Theater in Minnesota"

Released on March 29, 2025, “The Opinions” by The New York Times Opinion explores the intricate interplay between comedy, identity, and societal discourse through a compelling conversation with comedian and actor Alex Edelman.

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of The Opinions, host Susanna Meadows engages in a deep dialogue with Alex Edelman, a renowned comedian and actor known for his acclaimed Broadway solo show, Just for Us. The episode delves into Edelman’s personal journey, his experiences with identity, and the unique event where another performer staged his show in Minnesota.

2. Background on Alex Edelman and "Just for Us"

Susanna Meadows begins by providing context about Edelman’s career and his influential work. She notes, “You might know Alex from his solo show Just for Us, which he performed on Broadway. The show later went to HBO as a special, and he won both an Emmy and a Tony for it” (01:10). Edelman describes Just for Us as a deeply personal narrative that explores his upbringing in an observant Jewish family in Boston and his encounters with racism.

3. The Minnesota Theater Event: Another Comedian Performs His Show

The core of the episode centers on a startling incident: a theater in Minnesota decided to stage Just for Us using Edelman’s standup script, with another actor impersonating him. Edelman recounts, “There is a person who is a lovely artistic director… they decided they were gonna stage this show” (03:26). Skeptical yet intrigued, Edelman attended the performance in disguise, expressing his nervousness: “Yes, I was really nervous. I don’t know how it was gonna feel” (03:46).

4. Reflections on Identity and Assimilation

During the show, Edelman faces a profound experience where the impersonator discusses his Jewish identity and assimilation. Edelman reflects on watching someone else portray his life story: “It's literally an out of body experience… like inception of self loathing and narcissism” (03:59). When asked about his feelings towards the impersonator, he admits, “Yes, I kind of like that… it's a sketchy, abstract picture of myself as opposed to like a photo” (04:47). This encounter leads Edelman to contemplate the nuances of personal identity and how others perceive and represent it.

5. Civility and Discourse in the Current Political Climate

A significant portion of the discussion shifts to the broader theme of civility in discourse, especially in the context of contemporary political divides. Edelman emphasizes the importance of productive conversations: “There’s a bipartisan thing to say, ignoring a conversation that you could be having… does not make those things go away” (12:02). He advocates for empathy and accountability, even in challenging environments, highlighting the show's message as a “love letter to civility” (10:11).

6. Changes Post October 7th: Impact of Global Conflicts

Edelman addresses how recent global events, such as the conflict in Gaza, have intensified the charged atmosphere surrounding discussions of Jewish identity and civility. He notes, “The atmosphere around discourse and Jewish identity changed drastically” (12:00). This shift has made the themes of his show more poignant and relevant, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue despite heightened tensions.

7. Conclusions and Insights

In concluding the conversation, Edelman reflects on the enduring relevance of his work. He asserts, “Being clear eyed about what other people feel and what they’re saying and what they believe is really crucial” (12:52). Edelman underscores the universal desire for connection and understanding, hoping that his work continues to foster meaningful conversations.

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Notable Quotes:

• Alex Edelman (04:36): “I’m basically watching somebody else, who is a lovely artistic director… pretending to be me as a child. It’s like inception of self loathing and narcissism.”

• Alex Edelman (09:00): “The show is not about antisemitism. It’s about assimilation… wanting to belong, but coming from a place where that may not be the easiest thing.”

• Alex Edelman (12:52): “Being clear eyed about what other people feel and what they’re saying and what they believe is really crucial.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Opinions offers a profound exploration of how personal narratives intersect with broader societal issues. Through Alex Edelman’s experiences, listeners gain insight into the complexities of identity, the challenges of representation, and the vital importance of maintaining civility in discourse. Edelman’s reflections serve as a poignant reminder of the power of comedy and storytelling in bridging divides and fostering understanding.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

This is the Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times Opinion. You've heard the news. Here's what to make of it.

[Susanna Meadows]

I'm Susanna Meadows and I'm an editor for Times Opinion. So last year I got this unusual call from the comedian and actor Alex Edelman. I've actually known Alex since he was in college. You might know Alex from his solo show Just for Us, which he performed on Broadway.

[Alex Edelman]

Thank you so much for coming.

[Susanna Meadows]

And then it went to HBO as a special. He also won an Emmy and a Tony for it. Just for Us, for those of you who don't know is a very personal story about Alex's life, about growing up in an observant Jewish family in Boston.

[Alex Edelman]

I grew up in Boston. I grew up in this really racist part of Boston called Boston.

[Susanna Meadows]

And he tells us story of going to a meeting of white nationalists in Queens.

[Alex Edelman]

And the tweet says, if you live in NYC and you have questions about your whiteness, come to 441 27th Avenue. And I thought to myself, I live in NYC and as an Ashkenazi Jew, I have some questions about my whiteness.

[Susanna Meadows]

And in the course of going to this meeting, someone outs him as a Jew. So it's very much a story of his experience and his thoughts about Judaism and how we should be talking to each other. When Alex performed his show, it was before the presidential election last year, and so it was a different time. But Alex told me that he had just heard that there was a theater in Minnesota that was going to be putting on his show just for us. They were going to be using his standup script and the actor was going to be essentially impersonating him. And immediately he said he had to go see it and he had to go see it in disguise. I mean, I wanted to talk to Alex about the experience. On the surface, of course, there's just the the kind of gag of it all. And I was Dying to hear what that experience was like for him. Hi, Alex.

[Alex Edelman]

Hi, Susanna.

[Susanna Meadows]

I remember where I was when you called me and you said, this show is happening, someone's putting on my show. And it's like when Kennedy was shot, but I wasn't alive then, but you said, I think I'm gonna go. Tell me why you decided to go. And. And well, there are a bunch of reasons.

[Alex Edelman]

First of all, it's funny, right? Like for more than anything else, it is funny and weird to think like, oh, there is a person who is a lovely artistic director who I met briefly and a director and they decided they were like, we're gonna stage this show.

[Susanna Meadows]

Were you nervous?

[Alex Edelman]

Yes, I was really nervous. I don't want, like, I didn't know how it was gonna feel.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right. What was the experience like sitting in the audience watching your show performed by somebody else?

[Alex Edelman]

I mean, it was. First of all, it's literally an out of body experience, right? Like I'm literally watching somebody come on stage and say, my name is Alex Edelman, I'm a comedian, and I'm gonna tell you a story about something that happened and just be like, ah, this is a dream. Like it's literally. It's a solipsism. Seven layer cake. I'm watching a guy pretend to be me talking about his childhood sometimes, which is really my childhood, and he's doing an impression of me as a child. So it's just like, it's like inception of self loathing and narcissism.

[Susanna Meadows]

Can I just ask one question about that? You had to watch the person or Persona that you created. And I'm curious how it felt to be confronted with that person you made. And did you like him?

[Alex Edelman]

Um, yes.

[Susanna Meadows]

Oh, that's nice.

[Alex Edelman]

But I kind of like that. There are things about it that feel really, really true and vulnerable to me, but there are also some things that I sort of hide the ball on. I think it's like a sketchy, abstract picture of myself as opposed to like a photo.

[Susanna Meadows]

Uh huh.

[Alex Edelman]

And watching somebody else inhabit that made it seem that way too.

[Susanna Meadows]

You obviously feel a lot of ownership over it and the show is out of your control. How did you deal with that?

[Alex Edelman]

You know, in principle, completely. Fine. You know, why take this so seriously? Who gives a shit? Like, sorry, can I curse at the New York Times? Like, who cares? Yeah. Cause ultimately I'm not gonna be doing it and it exists on hbo and I'm very proud of the HBO version, but ultimately I had such a wonderful time performing it and just getting advice from people. So I thought, if someone else can have that experience, how tender, like, how wonderful. And then you go and see it and it feels different, and then you're like, oh, okay, well. Well, that's not my. That's not the decision I would have made.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

You know, that's not. That's not what I would have done. But ultimately, even after seeing it, I did feel like, oh, yeah, I like that someone else can do it. I like that people can go see it and experience it live. Also, the show is not about antisemitism. The show's about assimilation. The show is about someone who feels a certain way and is at odds with the world that they exist in. And so I'd be really interested in seeing a non Jewish, non white, non male performer do a version of that.

[Susanna Meadows]

And is that because. I'm curious why?

[Alex Edelman]

Because Norman Lear, who I completely worshiped, liked to say that I'm just another version of you. And Norman created all these shows, like all in the Family, but he also did like Sanford and Sons and Maude and Mary Hartman. Mary Hartman and a bunch of shows where it wasn't just about Norman Lear. These shows were. They were fully inhabited with this humanity. And one of my professors at college, Nathan Englander, likes to say that when people are told, write what you know, sometimes they go, oh, if I'm a farmer, I should write about being a farmer. If I'm from a poor background, I should write about being from that specific poor background. But what he means is, if you know shame, write shame. If you know ambition, write ambition. If you know what it feels like to be informed by a world that you come from, but also a longing to completely fit in with the greater world at large. Right. About that. And so I'm curious to see someone who's coming at that specific angle of wanting to belong, but coming from a place where that may not be the easiest thing, I'm wondering if the story still works for them, if the filter of it is through something other than their Judaism.

[Susanna Meadows]

So you mentioned in another interview that the show is the best, truest expression of yourself. So what did you find out? Watching yourself.

[Alex Edelman]

I'm so annoying. I'm so annoying and so Jewish. Can someone tone down the Jewish for this time period that we live in? Gosh. I mean, in 2025, to be this Jewish seems almost irresponsible. I mean, a little bit is. But no, no, I think watching it, I do think certain things come through the things that I love come through the love of my family and my Identity. And weirdly, there's something patriotic about it, which is the idea not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen the show. The idea that. Not that these people can be reached, the white nationalists in the room, but the idea that you'd want to is very, I think, like weirdly patriotic.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

And the idea also the neediness of someone who wants to connect with everyone.

[Susanna Meadows]

That's you.

[Alex Edelman]

Yeah, that's me. Thank you, Susanna.

[Susanna Meadows]

You're welcome.

[Alex Edelman]

But seeing that.

[Susanna Meadows]

But that idea of being. I'm not saying the neediness necessarily, just the interest in hearing other people.

[Alex Edelman]

Sure.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right. Isn't that the core of the show?

[Alex Edelman]

Oh, 1,000%. And also, I do think, not to be earnest here, I do think that wanting that right now feels more. Feels interesting in a different way. Like the aspects of the show that appeal to people.

[Susanna Meadows]

Do you think that that has changed? Are you saying post Trump?

[Alex Edelman]

Yeah.

[Susanna Meadows]

Talk about the show before Trump and then how the show is received after Trump.

[Alex Edelman]

Well, while I was in Minnesota, I did some door to door work for this candidate in Minnesota who's running in like a pretty competitive seat that I really like. And the mood was I sort of knew which way the election was gonna shake out. And so I guess I was sort of curious how the show would play that close to the election. How a sort of like love letter to civility or something.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

The show is ultimately, there's a little bit of wish fulfillment in the show, which is that we can all speak civilly to each other and offer each other both empathy and accountability even in the most extreme environment. Right, right. Like even in a room full of white nationalists with some neo Nazi views.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right. So when you were performing it on Broadway in 2023, I feel like you were kind of against the tide when you were first doing it.

[Alex Edelman]

I feel like there was a moment for that opinion. And I wonder how that opinion holds up now in terms of like, loving civility and the rule of discourse and favoring conversation that is productive over conversation. Where you are the party that is right. Is like, I wonder if that. If that still holds the same currency that it did when I was doing it on Broadway or during a Biden administration.

[Susanna Meadows]

Is it harder to make the argument that you do with your show that we really need to be talking to each other?

[Alex Edelman]

No.

[Susanna Meadows]

Or is it more relevant? I don't know.

[Alex Edelman]

Then it's more relevant. The truth is, I think in principle, people quite like the idea that they can have productive civil conversations with people who have fundamental differences from them. But as soon as you introduce Democrat and Republican, those things start to break down. Right. People. People start to say, well, yes, but in this case they're not civil. Or in this case they wouldn't actually listen to me. Or in this case, there isn't actually civility. I did the show on Broadway in August of 2023, but then its tour was post October 7th while there was this major conflict in Gaza and the atmosphere around discourse and Jewish identity changed drastically.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

And so that was different.

[Susanna Meadows]

Tell me how it changed and how.

[Alex Edelman]

You felt that as you were performing, became more charged.

[Susanna Meadows]

Yeah.

[Alex Edelman]

And I always said something at the beginning of the show, which isn't in the play and isn't in the special because the special was filmed beforehand. But I said, you know, when I was in high school, I went to see John Updike, a famous novelist, give a talk. And John Updike said, if you are lucky, at some point in your life, the work that you create might find itself in conversation with the times in which you live. And then I would pause and go, well, call me Mr. Lucky. I believe that a show should be conversant with the moment it's in and not beholden to it. And I think that holds true with the time that we're in now.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

I truly believe that. I think this is a bipartisan thing to say, ignoring a conversation that you could be having by going, no, I'm sorry, it's not up for conversation. It doesn't make those things go away. And so I think being clear eyed about what other people feel and what they're saying and what they believe is really crucial. I'm not saying that everyone has the energy to do that or the time. Some people need to make sure that Shake Shack is open. Right. Like, you can't. Not everyone can be online fighting all the time in pursuit of a more, you know, like a more bipartisan truth.

[Susanna Meadows]

Right.

[Alex Edelman]

But like, yeah, I do think it's important to have those conversations.

[Susanna Meadows]

Alex, thanks so much for being on the show to talk about a show that performed your show.

[Alex Edelman]

Thank you on all three of those fronts.

[Podcast Host]

If you like this show, follow it on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. This show is produced by Derek Arthur, Sofia Alvarez, Boyd, Vishaka Durba, Phoebe Lett, Christina Samulewski and Gillian Weinberger. It's edited by Kari Pitkin, Alison Bruzek and Annie Rose Strasser. Engineering, mixing and original music by Isaac Jones, sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker, Carol Saburo and Afim Shapiro. Additional music by Amin Sohota. The fact check team is Kate Sinclair, Mary, Marge Locker and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta, Christina Samulewski and Adrian Rivera. The executive producer of Times Opinion Audio is Annie Rose Dresser.