Playwright, Wendy Wasserstein, chronicler of American feminism, has died
at the age of 55.
Theatre critic, Robert Brustein said [1997]
of Ms.Wasserstein,"Being with Wendy, you
feel like you're having a bubble bath or an
ice cream ["ayzkrem"] soda."
Pia Savage (Pia.talks@gmail.com) wrote,
"
The first time that I saw Isn't it Romantic,
I knew that I had finally found a writer who
understood what it was like to be born on
the cusp of two very different generations.
For the first time I felt like cheering the
playwright not the actors. she so perfectly
captured the angst and the wonder of being part of a generation whee none
of
the old rules applied, but there didn't seem to be new ones.
I saw Isn't it...with my parents; it helped us
talk about the unorthodox, non-linear lines my life was taking. They had
understood
more than I thought. Wendy Wasserstein
helped clarify the rest; her words helped in
my realization that my parents were merely
mortals who could be my good friends as well as my parents...She was a mensch
in
every sense of the word."
Wendy was listed in Abigail Pogrebin's 2005 book titled, "Stars of
David - Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish."
Shown are some facts, trivia, and quotes
about this graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Brooklyn's Yeshiva of Flatbush.
So, as Leo Rosten would say, "Begin already!"
"mishpokhe" (family)
"tate-mame" (parents)
Morris (deceased) and Lola Wasserstein
"Being a grownup means assuming
responsibility for yourself, for your
children, and--here's the big curve--for
your parents."
Wendy Wasserstein
"I am certain that I became a playwright
because every Saturday my parents
picked me up from the June Taylor School
of Dance and brought me to a Broadway
matinee. Of course, at the time I had no
idea that I would even remotely have a
life in the theater. No adult said to me,
'Oh, Wendy, darling, don't become a
doctor, a lawyer, or a certified public
accountant. Please do us a favor and
consider the not-for-profit theater.'"
"tokhter" (daughter)
Ms. Wasserstein gave birth to Lucy Jane
when she was 48. She always declined to
reveal the identity of the girl's father.
"beybi" (baby)
In an interview with the Forward, Wendy
said, "The thing about having a baby (at
an) older (age) is that she doesn't have
to live her life for me. I can see her, I
hope, as a person.)
"shvester" (sister)
In discussing her sister's career,
Wasserstein writes, "My sister would say
that life takes its toll, male or female,
period. I heartily disagree. I can't help but
wonder what difference it would have
made in my sister's personal or corporate
life if she had been a man. Of course,
Sandra would say that if you're a player,
gender shouldn't be an issue. But for my
generation, gender is the issue." (Note: Ms. Wasserstein's elder
sister, Sandra, became a high-ranking bank
executive before her death in 1997. She
is survived by another sister, Georgette
Levis, who operates a Vermont inn with
her husband.)
"bruder" (brother)
Ms. Wasserstein is survived by her
"bruder," Bruce.
"mekhaber" (author)
Ms. Wasserstein was the Pulitzer Prize-
winning author of "The Heidi Chronicles"
and "The Sisters Rosensweig." She also
wrote essays for newspapers and
magazines, which are collected in the
books "Bachelor Girls and Shika Goddess
(Or, How I Spent My Forties.)"
"shanda" (shame)
"zunoyigang"/"zun-untergang" (sunrise/
sunset)
"I am a walking shanda"--a disgrace--and
that, when she graduated from Holyoke
and the Yale School of Drama without a
marriage prospect, her parents called her
on the phone to sing "Sunrise, Sunset." Source:
Los Angeles Jewish Journal
"oytobus" (bus)
"The only contact I had with people who
were not Jews was on the Coney Island
bus."
Source: "Stars of David" by Abigail
Porgebin
"aroyskuk" (expectation)
"Don't live down to expectations. Go out
there and do something remarkable." Wendy
Wasserstein
"Yizroel" (Israel)
"Vin-Yid" (Jews who visit Martha's
Vineyard) :-)
"I think that part of the world believes
that if we could just move the country
[Israel] to Iceland or Pluto, it would be a
lot easier. Or to Martha's Vineyard. That
would be really nice because all the Jews
would be happy and a lot of them have
homes there because they're pretending
that they're actually Episcopalian, so it
would work out nicely. And Bill Clinton
would come and play golf and everyone
could shop."
Source: "Stars of David" by Abigail
Pogrebin
"aleyn" (alone)
"No matter how lonely you get or how
many birth announcements you receive,
the trick is not to get frightened. There's
nothing wrong with being alone."
Source: "Isn't It Romantic" (1983)
"shiksa" (Gentile (Young, fem.)
"Shiksa Goddess" was written by Ms.
Wasserstein. The essays were quick and
lighthearted. The final two, "How I Spent
My Forties" and "Days of Awe: The Birth
of Lucy Jane" are longer and
deal with much weightier subjects.
"tsen" (10)
"I do have a theory about writing for the
theater. If you aim for a six and
get a six, you'll do fine. If you aim for a ten and
get a six, or even an eight, you
won't do well at all. But I believe the purpose
of writing plays, or practicing
any art form, is to try for a ten every time."
Wendy Wasserstein, Preface to the
book, "An American Daughter" (1998)
"voyl" (nice/agreeable)
"Whatever nice means, I've been it all my
life."
Wendy Wasserstein, "Making Nice:
When Is Enough Enough?"
"vog" (weight)
"As I ramble through life, whatever be my
goal, I will, unfortunately keep my eye
upon the doughnut and not upon the
whole." Wendy Wasserstein
"komish" (funny)
"Anyone who is considered funny will
tell you, sometimes without even your
asking, that deep inside they are very
serious, neurotic, introspective people." Wendy
Wasserstein
"The real reason for comedy is to hide
the pain." Wendy Wasserstein
"oysgematert" (exhausted)
In "The Heidi Chronicles," Heidi is behind
a lectern and introducing Dr. Heidi
Holland: "..After teaching at Columbia
yesterday, Miss Holland probably
attended a low-impact aerobics class with
weights, picked up her children from
school, took the older one to drawing-
with-computers at the Metropolitan, and
the younger one to Swimming-for-gifted-
children. On return home, she
immediately prepared grilled mesquite
free-range chicken with balsamic vinegar
and sun-dried tomatoes, advised her
investment-banker well-rounded
husband on future finances for the City
Ballet, put the children to bed, recited
their favorite Greek myths and
sex-education legends,......So after all this,
we forgive Miss Holland for not preparing
a speeech today. She's exemplary and
exhausted."
"harts-brenenish" (heartburn)
In "The Sisters Rosensweig," Pfeni sings
softly, "Eat too much, drink too much,
take Brioschi, take Brioschi!" Named, I'm
sure, for the eminent Dr. Brioschi. One
night, when I was around nine, I was
watching Rosemary Clooney on 'Your Hit
Parade,' with our mother in Brooklyn.
Rosemary was singing some sad song, and
I asked mother what a broken heart felt
like. She thought I meant heartburn and
told me when I grew up to take Brioschi."
"khasene" (wedding)
"Until now, I've had a happy life thinking
of myself as a Jewish writer. I came to
accept that when my work was described
as being 'too New York' it was really a
euphemism for something else. I
belonged to a temple, and on my opening
nights, my mother invariably told friends
that she'd be much happier if it was my
wedding. In other words, I had a solid
sense of self. I knew exactly who I was." Wendy
Wasserstein
"nit aher"/"nit ahin" (neither here nor
there)
"I began wearing faded cardigan sweaters
and canceled all appointment for
massages, pedicures, and exploratory
liposuction. I gave up on my complicated
relationship with a married Jewish
Malaysian vibes player and learned to
enjoy the company of a divorced asexual
friend from Amherst who studies
pharmaceutical stocks for J. P. Morgan.
I began running ten miles every morning
and sculling down the Hudson nightly.
My approval ratings with my friends have
gone up fifteen points.
But I was still, as I used to say in Yiddish,
'nit ahin nit aher,' or, as I now say in the
Queen's English, 'neither here nor there.'"
Wendy Wasserstein
_____
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe suggests that, if
you want to make a donation in memory of
Wendy Wasserstein, consider contributing
to "Open Doors," a theater mentoring
program for N.Y.C. high school students.
Ms. Wasserstein founded the program.
___________________________________________ Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe is the author of
two books:
"Yiddish for Dog & Cat Lovers" and
"Are Yentas, Kibitzers, & Tummlers Weapons of Mass Instruction? Yiddish
Trivia." To order a copy, go to her
website: MarjorieGottliebWolfe.com
