A Jewish Joke

It's a big day for Bernie Lutz, one half of the comedy writing team Lutz and Frumsky. He and Morris Frumsky have a new film about to premiere, but that's suddenly no certain thing. Bernie learns that he's been named in the press as a possible communist, and that means Joe McCarthy is sure to come calling. In a panic, Bernie tries to convince the press that he's an apolitical man who only cares about comedy, but as one-time employers and allies abandon him it becomes clear that being funny might not be enough to save himself. Still, he might be able to save himself if he rats out others as communists — whether they actually are or not. Phil Johnson and Marni Freedman's one-man show A Jewish Joke follows Bernie for one interminable afternoon as he questions everything he knows about himself and considers ruining friends' lives to save his own. The New Jewish Theatre presents A Jewish Joke with Johnson in the sole role. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday (November 29 to December 10) in the Wool Studio Theatre at the Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Drive; www.newjewishtheatre.org). Tickets are $41 to $44.