The Cast Photo courtesy of Penguin Rep Theatre

The protagonist, Jake, played with charm and gusto by Leighton Samuels, is a young Jewish man from Pittsburgh who has grown up steeped in the traditions and expectations of his family, particularly those of his father Leo (Sam Guncler), a Holocaust survivor with a gigantic, overbearing personality. The family's tight-knit, conservative values act as chains that keep Jake tethered to a past he's both proud of and fearful of escaping.

Enter Christine (Amanda Kristin Nichols), a vibrant, successful journalist and fiercely independent woman. She is not Jewish, and her background is German. Her modern, liberal sensibilities directly clash with Jake's family's more conservative world view, creating a relationship rife with complications.

Christine's vision for the future is simple: she wants Jake to leave his family behind and move to New York to start a new life with her. Jake wants to go but is deeply afraid of the consequences this choice would bring–especially the reaction of his father, a looming figure whose past experiences as a Holocaust survivor carry enormous weight within the family–especially in light of his mother's somewhat recent death (the play begins on the one-year anniversary of her passing). Jake's internal struggle becomes the primary tension in the story, as he wrestles with the choice of following his heart and remaining loyal to the family that has shaped him.

The play is well-structured. Mr. Gitter clearly has a deep respect for the themes he's exploring, and there's certainly no question that the theme of the clash between tradition and modernity is a topic worth examining. Director Joe Brancato's sensitivity and aesthetic acuity keep the action moving swiftly and fluidly. This basic conflict is similar to that of Mr. Gitter's earlier play, The Sabbath Girl, which featured a young Jewish man caught in the same crossfire between tradition and modern love. Both plays revolve around the same core dynamic: a conservative, family-oriented Jewish man and a free-spirited, non-Jewish woman with modern values. While this theme is undoubtedly rich with potential, Gitter's treatment of it in The Steel Man feels somewhat predictable and, at times, frustratingly unoriginal. (Full disclosure: had I not seen The Sabbath Girl very recently, parallels between the two plays might not have been so apparent.)

The Steel Man unfolds in a series of conversations between Jake and Christine, as well as between Jake and Leo. The dialogue feels familiar, like a series of conversations we've seen play out in other works that tackle the clash of cultures and generational expectations. The love story, while heartfelt, is laden with clichés. Christine is the archetypal modern woman–independent, career-driven, and self-assured–while Jake is the reserved, traditional man torn between his sense of duty and his personal desires. The dynamic between the two never fully escapes the realm of stereotype, leaving their interactions feeling formulaic rather than fresh.

The most intriguing aspect of the play involves Jake's father Leo. As a Holocaust survivor, his character brings a weight of history and trauma that adds complexity to the plot. His unrealized hopes and dreams mirror those of Jake. His back story–his harrowing experiences during the war and how they shaped his strict adherence to tradition–offers a glimpse into the deeper layers of familial obligation and cultural identity that, had it been expanded, could have made The Steel Man a more compelling play. Leo's desire to bring to justice the man who turned in his family to the Nazis back in Hungary is far more interesting than the love story. Unfortunately, this aspect of the story is less developed, relegating the more nuanced and potentially richer narrative to the background. It's a missed opportunity.

The trauma of survival and the burden of carrying that legacy into future generations is a subject that is beautifully mined and provides the play's best moments as the much deeper emotional and intellectual aspects of the story unfold. In those moments, The Steel Man, really takes off. The performances by the entire cast are strong, and the actors bring a great earnestness to their roles that elevates the material, though the chemistry between Jake and Christine is not as palpable as what we see between Jake and Leo, which is completely incendiary. The lovely moments of vulnerability the young couple share are genuinely touching.

Sam Guncler delivers a powerhouse performance as Leo, imbuing his character with a not-so-quiet quiet strength and a perceptible sense of the weight of history that he carries with him. Leo's own missed opportunities and the impact of his parents' decisions on his life make for compelling drama, and Guncler's large-than-life performance keeps the audience riveted to his every word.

While it is resolutely and reverently performed, and clearly has its heart in the right place, The Steel Man, doesn't rise above an earnest but underwhelming exploration of cultural and generational conflict.

The Steel Man runs through September 29, 2024, at Penguin Rep Theatre, 7 Crickettown Road, Stony Point NY. For tickets and information, please visit www.penguinrep.org.