Playing at the Annex Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival, She’s Black, He’s Jewish, They’re Married, Oy Vey! is more than a 27-year-long interracial love story between Epstein and Hassan.

These stand-up comics are marriage counsellors! They share their wisdom on how to keep relationships alive and well and full of action under the sheets.

Their training package for couples, called “Black/Jew/Love technology,” requires homework. But the audience participation involves much more than that. A few willing, good-humoured members of the crowd ended up revealing marital status, sexual orientation, ethnic background and religion. (If you’re shy, no worries, there’s a don’t-bug-me signal.)

Of course, the jokes ensued. Going into this play, I didn’t know that I would be giggling, chuckling or howling with laughter, minute after minute.

As specialists of romance, Epstein and Hassan addressed sex, lies, no videotape, but also financial hardship. Lessons were shared on each point. I won’t share all my notes so I don’t spoil it for future students.

I loved two things about this play: hearing the bursts of laughter that Epstein and Hassan so easily provoked (one man would laugh and clap at the same time), and listening to Hassan break into song every now and then. Her lyrics left us in stitches.

When the play ended, Epstein and Hassan entered the seating area, fared us well, and thanked us for attending. That added to the feel-good nature of the whole experience, as their lessons involved being kind to oneself, kind to your significant other, and kind to strangers who are different in colour, religion, and sexual orientation.

These two uncensored do-gooders deserve large audiences. You’ll be enlightened by the challenges of their marriage, and you will laugh more than you expected.

Details

She’s Black, He’s Jewish, They’re Married, Oy Vey! plays at the Annex Theatre (736 Bathurst St. at the Randolph Centre for the Arts).

Show times
July 03 at 08:45 PM
July 06 at 07:30 PM
July 07 at 03:15 PM
July 08 at 10:15 PM
July 10 at 12:00 PM
July 11 at 04:00 PM
July 12 at 02:15 PM