Abie's Irish Rose

by Anne Nichols, Flo Gibson (Read by)

Although ethnic caricatures may cause resentment, this play is about the spirit of religious tolerance. For fourteen years it was Broadway's longest-running play as love conquers all for a Jewish boy and an Irish girl.

Genres: Plays

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1924

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍀🌹I first read about Anne Nichols's Abie's Irish Rose (published in 1924) in Women in American Theatre (eds. Helen Krich Chinoy and Linda Walsh Jenkins). After learning that Nichols grossed over a million dollars for her play, which ran on Broadway for 2,327 consecutive performances (May 23, 1922 to October 22, 1927), I knew I had to read it! I was also intrigued by the fact that many well-established, male theatre critics detested her commercial hit.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🍀🌹This is certainly not an earth-shattering play, but it is a well-written, linear comedy that preaches religious tolerance (Although I highly doubt a contemporary audience would tolerate such ethnic stereotypes). The male protagonist Abraham Levy (aka Abi), a "nice Jewish boy", secretly weds the love of his life, Irishwoman Rose Mary Murphy. The problem is that both of their fathers disapprove of interfaith marriage. Laughter ensues when Rose Mary pretends to be Rosie Murpheski to win her father-in-law's approval. In ACT II, after the Levy family Rabbi marries Abi and Rosie in a fake ceremony and the latter's Irish father arrives on the scene expecting a Catholic wedding, the two father figures deduce the messy truth:

PATRICK. I'm not saying anything about that. But it seems very funny to have oranges for decorations.
SOLOMAN. Vell, I'll tell you why! The girl's from California!
PATRICK. So's my daughter!
SOLOMAN. Bud my son is marrying a Jewish girl!
PATRICK. My daughter is marrying an Irish boy!
SOLOMAN. [Almost shouting.] My son isn't Irish!
PATRICK. Well my God! My daughter isn't Jewish! (71).

Nichols employs both realism and humor to tease out parental qualms about interfaith marriage. The moral of the play and its conventional happy ending come in Act III when the blessings of supporting interfaith unions are shown to outweigh any foreseeable complications.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's baffling to think this was a huge hit. ABIE'S IRISH ROSE is more of an extended comedy sketch than anything: you can hear the laugh tracks punctuating the jokes. The humor is mostly based on ethnic stereotypes and slapstick. At best, it achieves historical interest in how it ties together its message of religious tolerance with the trauma that came with the Great War. Otherwise, it's rather a slog since the characters are so one-note.

[Faye Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: Very dated and very politically incorrect, this is a story of two lovers who found their way in spite of the toxic bitterness between their races. Written as a comedy and produced both as a play and a movie, it uses language that would not be acceptable today. The comedy is more on the lines of slapstick, with a feel good ending as Jewish Abie and his Irish bride, Rosie, attempt to reconcile their families.

The author’s premise that all faiths worship the same God was a turn-off to me. I am also not a fan of slapstick, therefore, this simply isn't a book I can rate very highly.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the characters speak in very stereotypical accents and styles -- as was the custom for ethnic representation in the late 19th and early 20th century -- none of the characterizations are grotesque. At the heart is a charming light story of culture clashes with love triumphing. Certainly not a sophisticated play - but the type of breezy entertainment typical of 1920s Broadway.

[Brian McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

So ancient. So stereotypic. So overdrawn.

I never read this long-running play. No need to ever revisit this.