The View From "Golda's Balcony"

Gina Wilhelm Actress - The View From "Golda's Balcony"

Tovah Feldshuh has a show on Broadway and works on TV. But her most reliable work is "Golda's Balcony."

"Golda's Balcony" is a one-woman show, a condensation from a multicharacter piece called "Golda."

That play was an attempt to re-create the magic of "The Miracle Worker" by reuniting its star, director, and playwright, all of whom won Tonys for the earlier play.

"Golda" was a commercial flop. "Golda's Balcony," by comparison, has proven reliable for Ms. Feldshuh.

In that play, Feldshuh portrays Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, when Meir turned to the United States for assistance.

In the course of her extensive research for the role, Feldshuh has become convinced that Israel had nuclear weapons and would have used them if the aid from the US hadn't come through.

Israel has never admitted to having nuclear weapons.

Ms. Feldshuh has to do a lot of work for the role. She wears a false nose and frizzy wig. She also has prosthetic legs to give the impression of Meir's phlebitis.

The hardest part, though, is the chain smoking. She says the trick is to grind the cigarette out almost as soon as it's lit.

Lighting the cigarette is what creates the illusion of chain smoking.

Feldshuh uses mild menthol cigarettes. She tried herbal cigarettes, which most nonsmoking actors use, but she said it smelled like "dope" to her.

She will perform the show in Kansas City this weekend, and then she goes back to her Broadway show Tuesday.

She says she performs the show maybe 10 times a year in places as far away as Africa and Hong Kong.

Interestingly enough, the one place she hasn't performed it is Israel.

Gina Wilhelm Actress