“If there is a fork in the road, take it!” said Yogi Berra, those words of wisdom with many other from Elie Weisel, Mother Teresa, & Bill Cosby scrolled down the screen as you entered Stage 3 for one night showing, April 16, of The Black-Jew Dialoguesat 14th Street Playhouse.

Two friends, Ron Jones and Larry Jay Tish have taken on the mission to create a forum where humor, poignant personal reflection, and skits enable their audiences to talk each other’s differences.

This funny show incorporates multi-media, puppets, and a wide cast of characters to share timely stories about today’s misconceptions on race.

This show has been on the road since 2007.  It starts off with a puppet interviewing people on the street and candidly asking their view of blacks & Jews.  What is interesting is that in a time where we would think equality ruled, with the first African American President in the White House, some stereotypes still exist.

The actors Jones and Tish do push the envelope to make the audience think.  They also are interactive where they create what is intended to be a funny bit.  One example was to put a photo on the big screen of a well-known person and the audience member decides “jew or not jew.”  What is interesting is what we associate with Jewish people is not often true.  Then the poor soul volunteer is able to take home a prize from the goodie bag. I won a can of cheese!

In the after show, they continued the dialogue and the audience carried a lively discussion. I asked what was the response from young people? They said that what they find is that today’s youths are so attached to their technologies that they are not accustomed to talk face to face. They will put a post on Facebook but not bring it up in the dialogue. So this program gets them to think. That particular day they were at the local Marist High School.

This show is extremely up close and personal but the humor makes for the perfect way to open up about stereo types and in the end reaffirm that we are more alike than different.

For more information, check out: www.TheBlackJewDialogues.com