Stephen Radosh
Updated
In 1968, the ‘8 Day War’ between Israel and Egypt had once again disrupted any hope of peace in the Middle East. Half-way around the world another ‘war’ of a sorts had erupted when Omar Sharif was cast to play opposite Barbra Streisand in the screen adaptation of “Funny Girl,” the musical that propelled Streisand into mega-stardom. There were protests outside the studio and battles inside as well. Everyone was asking the same question, ”How could they have cast a non-Jewish Egyptian in the role of Nick, Fanny Brice’s gambling and philandering Jewish husband.”
It is around these events that Gregg Ostrin has set his wonderful new play, “The Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks.” Although the events in the play are strictly fiction, they are situated within the very real events previously mentioned. A female diplomat from Israel, Dalia (Olivia Zane Coen) and a male counterpart from Egypt, Rami (Ali Zahiri), agree to meet at the title-billed hotel to discuss the current state of affairs and hopefully find at least a temporary solution allowing the two countries to exist side-by-side in peace. At the behest of Ray Stark, the executive producer of “Funny Girl” (who also happened to be married to Fannie’s daughter), the meeting was arranged by a junior film executive, Shelly Ross (Josh Breslow) with the invaluable assist from his secretary, Freddie (Geri-Nikole Love). It is clear that much of the details and decisions were of her making and were spot-on. She clearly wants and deserves more than just being a secretary but in 1968 it was hard for an African-American woman to be given a position much higher than that in Hollywood. So Freddie keeps her eye on the prize and does her best at all times no matter what the task may be. Meanwhile, her boss, Shelly, continues to be a Jewish, neurotic bit-of-a-mess, worrying as much about losing his job if things don’t go well as he is about the actual results of the talks.
