As you probably recall, last year included a uniquely staged play about sex among young Jewish tourists in Israel, titled Sex and The Holyland. I gave it my award for most creative use of benches in a stage play. This year has even more excitement, from an Ansky play from Strasbourg France to a musical based on the writings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.
Another highly anticipated show is “A Gilgl Fun a Nigun (The Metamorphasis of a Melody)” performed by Le Theatre en l’Air/Der LufTeater, and written by I. L. Peretz. It is a solo performance in Yiddish with English translation supertitles, based on the classic short story of a melody’s journey from singer to singer, from folk song, to religious hymn to popular tune. It hails from Strasbourg, France
Abraham’s Daughters by Elissa Lerner confronts a moral crisis that threatens Ranya, Kate and Sarah, college freshmen far from home and family, race headlong on a collision course with the ancient faiths of their births.
Feed the Monster by Stephanie Ehrlich will be directed by Michael Roderick. It asks what if Grace Slick grew up as an Orthodox Jew in Brooklyn? She’d hit the road and morph into mock-rock-goddess named Rita Emerson. In this musical, the audience will sing along on Rita’s journey to stardom. It’s a tale of sex, jugs and rock-n-roll.
In “Two Girls” by Gabrielle Maisels, a friendship blossoms and struggles in the “new” South Africa between 2 girls, one black, one Jewish, who take on the trauma that apartheid left behind. Maisels is the granddaughter of Attorney Isie Maisels, who successfully defended Nelson Mandela in the “Treason Trial” of 1958.
TTYL. I will get in line for tix. Should I save an aisle seat for you?
What, no love for the Jewish-written play about Gaza? (Asks the Jewish playwright herself.) AK-47 Sing-Along: children’s tv in Israel and Gaza encompasses Sesame Street co-productions Rechov Sumsum and Shara’a Simsim — and also Hamas’s contribution to the genre. http://www.ak47singalong.com