Theater Review: "Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews?" at the Jewish Theatre

Comments (0) By Benjamin Wachs Wednesday, Apr 28 2010

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Through May 16 at the Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida (at Mariposa), S.F. $15-$45; 292-1233 or www.tjt-sf.org.

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A great performer can be his own worst enemy if he looks in the mirror too much, and in his newest show, Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews?, Josh Kornbluth gets lost in reflection. While technically an examination of what Warhol's enigmatic "Ten Portraits of Jews" means, Kornbluth's monologue begins as a scattershot stand-up comedy routine ("Can you believe somebody paid me to do this? What's the deal?") and turns into an exercise in petty narcissism. Yes, his subject has always been himself (and his father), but what was profound in Love and Taxes is incestuous in Andy Warhol. For 90 minutes, Kornbluth can't get out of his own way: Every time he threatens to say something interesting about the world, he interrupts it to tell us more about himself. The show's final line actually concludes that whether or not Warhol was good for the Jews, he was good for Kornbluth, which really is the final word on everything for this production. Sure, it offers a few laughs and gasps — especially if you like bad puns — but this warmed-over therapy session leaves you wanting to change the subject.