Judy Gold's ‘25 Questions for a Jewish Mother’
Sept. 10-21, various times
Center Theatre of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody
678-812-4002
At
6’3”,
Judy
Gold
is
a
woman
who
stands
out,
literally,
in
a
crowd.
She’s
also
loud,
gay,
the
Jewish
mother
of
two
sons
and
the
daughter
of
an
overbearing
Jewish
mother.
Put
all
that
together,
and
you
get
a
recipe
for
laugh-out-loud
comedy.
The
stand-up
comic,
who
won
two
Emmy
Awards
for
writing
and
producing
“The
Rosie
O’Donnell
Show,”
created
a
one-woman
show
about
eight
years
ago
with
writing
partner
Kate
Moira
Ryan.
It’s
based
on
interviews
they
did
with
some
50
Jewish
moms
from
across
the
country,
ranging
from
Orthodox
Jews
and
Holocaust
survivors
to
a
Chinese
woman
who
converted
to
Judaism
because
of
her
husband.
The
show,
“25
Questions
for
a
Jewish
Mother,”
became
an
Off
Broadway
sensation,
and
Gold
brings
it
to
the
Center
Theatre
of
the
Marcus
Jewish
Community
Center
in
Dunwoody
Sept.
10-21.
The
run
includes
a
special
Sept.
12
Gay
&
Lesbian
Alliance
Against
Defamation
evening.
The
popularity
of
the
show
resulted
in
a
book
with
the
same
title,
and
Gold
will
also
come
to
Outwrite
Bookstore
&
Coffeehouse
on
Sept.
19.
Gold
says
her
stories
of
growing
up
as
a
Jewish
daughter,
being
a
Jewish
mother,
as
well
as
stories
that
simply
explore
the
relationships
between
children
and
their
parents
will
entertain
Jews
and
non-Jews
alike.
“It
is
a
very
universal
theme,”
she
says.
“It
doesn’t
appeal
only
to
Jews.
The
title
doesn’t
really
do
it
justice.
It
really
is
about
relationships
between
a
child
and
a
parent
and
a
journey.”
SoVo:
What
were
some
of
the
questions
you
found
many
of
the
women
would
be
prompted
to
talk
about
more
than
others?
Gold:
There
were
several,
but
the
most
common
were,
“What’s
your
biggest
regret?”
“What
would
you
have
done
if
you
not
had
children?”
and
“What
the
best
advice
your
mom
gave
you?”
SoVo:
What
was
the
best
advice
your
mom
gave
you?
Gold:
It’s
stupid.
But
she
told
me
never
to
put
anything
in
writing.
And
my
father
was
a
tax
attorney.
Go
figure.
I
will
say
my
mom’s
interview
was
the
most
interesting.
The
question
that
surprised
me
the
most
was
her
answer
to
what
would
she
had
done
if
she
didn’t
have
children
…
but
I
can’t
tell
because
that
would
give
most
of
the
show
away.
SoVo:
How
do
your
sons
feel
about
having
two
gay
moms?
[Gold
gave
birth
to
her
youngest
son,
and
her
former
partner
gave
birth
to
the
older
son.]
Gold:
For
them,
that’s
the
way
it
is.
Most
of
their
friends
have
a
mom
and
a
dad.
But
they
have
two
parents
who
love
them.
I
know
my
older
son
hates
it
when
he
hears
kids
use
words
like
“fag,”
“gay,”
“lezzy.”
It
really,
really
bothers
him.
No
one
can
tell
me
my
kids
are
missing
out.
Kids
that
are
the
same
age
as
my
kids,
they
just
don’t
understand
why
our
family
is
less
than
another
family.
SoVo:
You
talk
to
your
mom
every
day.
When
was
the
last
time
you
talked
to
her,
and
what
did
you
talk
about?
Gold:
Oh,
actually
a
couple
hours
ago.
We
talked
about
[John]
McCain
and
him
picking
a
woman
vice
president!
She
says
[Gold
begins
speaking
in
her
mother’s
accent]:
“I
can
deal
with
it,
but
am
I
ready
for
it
now?
I
don’t
know.”
She’s
from
a
different
generation
where
women
have
a
place
and
are
supposed
to
keep
quiet.
Which
is
funny
because
I’m
the
complete
opposite.
She
says,
“Judith,
what
are
you
getting
so
upset
about?
Why
are
you
in
an
uproar?”
I’m
always
in
an
uproar.
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