Theater Online: This Is Who I Am

I was not planning to review this, but I fear that the rather negative review in the New York Times might prevent you from enjoying a worthwhile experience. This two-character play by Amir Nizar Zuabi is a hybrid — what you are watching online at a specific time is an actual live performance. The two characters are a father (Ramsey Faragallah) in Ramallah and a son (Yousof Sultan) in New York City who are on a video call trying to recreate the recipe for fteer, a triangular pastry filled with vegetables and spices, that was a specialty of their late wife and mother. Since they both have been unsuccessful in their separate attempts, they think that they might get it right if they combine forces. The format of a video call is the perfect setup for a 70-minute conversation, deeply moving at times, that reveals deep fractures in their relationship, misunderstandings that have divided them, as well as the trauma of living under occupation. Both actors are excellent and the direction by Evren Okcikin is smooth. I am not sure why it took five theater companies — PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in association with American Repertory Theater, Guthrie Theater and Oregon Shakespeare Festival — to produce it, but the result is very satisfying. The fteer looked delicious too. 

 For tickets, go to woollymammoth.net. Runs through January 3.

Theater News: 100th Anniversary of "The Dybbuk"

I am sharing this press release which I hope may be of interest: Dear Colleague:   This month marks the 100th anniversary of THE DYBBUK, the world’s most famous Jewish play, by S. Ansky. The Congress for Jewish Culture is celebrating this historically significant milestone with a virtual presentation of the play featuring an all-star international cast including Los Angeles-based Mike Burstyn (Barnum, The Rothschilds, Shane Baker (New York), Mendy Cahan (Tel Aviv), Refoyel Goldwasser (Buenos Aires), Daniel Kahn (Berlin), Amitai Kedar (Tel Aviv), Yelena Shmulenson (New York), Suzanne Toren (New York), and Michael Wex (Toronto). Under the direction of Allen Lewis Rickman, who also provides English narration, the online production of THE DYBBUK will premiere this evening (Monday) at 7 p.m. EST on the Congress for Jewish Culture’s YouTube channel. The production will remain on YouTube indefinitely. It will be performed in Yiddish featuring English subtitles, with a script adapted by Allen Lewis Rickman (from an adaptation by Dina Halperin, who appeared in the 1937 film version). The link, for your consideration, is www.youtube.com/channel/UCImhbhZ0JyMyEG1_KPnOXYQ.   Playwright S. Ansky wrote THE DYBBUK from late 1913 through 1915 in Russian and it was later translated into Yiddish by Ansky himself. The play had its world premiere in that language, performed by the Vilna Troupe in Warsaw on December 9, 1920, 30 days after the playwright’s death. Legendary impresario Max Reinhardt, upon seeing the Vilna production, famously declared “This is not a play, this is a religious rite!”   THE DYBBUK was subsequently translated into over 25 languages and performed thousands of times all over the world. On September 1, 1921, the play had its American premiere at the grand opening of Maurice Schwartz’ Yiddish Art Theatre in New York, starring Schwartz and Celia Adler. The play was an important artistic and commercial hit. Along with numerous Broadway productions, the film adaptation of THE DYBBUK was released in 1937 directed by Michał Waszyński. It is still being produced in countless adaptations, as well as operas, ballets and symphonic suites. The play is considered the jewel of the Jewish theatre.    Based on years of research by S. Ansky, who traveled between Jewish shtetls in Russia and Ukraine, documenting folk beliefs and stories of the Hassidic Jews, THE DYBBUK relates the story of a young bride possessed by a dybbuk – a malicious possessing spirit, believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person – on the eve of her wedding.   This virtual presentation serves as a particularly personal way to honor THE DYBBUK as two members of the company had close relationships with notable figures from the play’s initial premieres. As a young teen, Mike Burstyn appeared in three plays with Maurice Schwartz and the two families became lifelong friends. Shane Baker’s mentor, Luba Kadison, had a small role in the original production and she went on to star as Leah, a role she would reprise throughout her years onstage. Her father Leib Kadison founded the Vilna Troupe during World War I.   Best regards,   Jim Randolph     Jim Randolph Media Relations

Meet Me in St. Louis: A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen

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Just in time for the holidays, Irish Repertory Theatre brings us this delightful treat. It's an abridged online version of the 1989 Broadway musical based on the beloved 1944 Judy Garland film. Through the magic of technology, the actors, each filmed in a different location, have their performances blended together into the production so skillfully that, except for a couple of awkward moments during the ball scene, it is easy to forget that they are not actually performing together. Director Charlotte Moore has done an amazing joy of supporting the illusion. The musical itself, with songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine and a book by Hugh Wheeler, is a modest affair depicting the life of an upper-middle class St Louis family during the period leading up to the 1904 World's Fair. The best known songs are "The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the title song. The appealing cast includes recognizable names such as Melissa Errico as the mother and Max von Essen as the boy next door. Shereen Ahmed is lovely as Esther (the Garland role). The other members of the diverse cast -- William Bellamy, Rufus Collins, Kerry Conte, Ali Ewooldt, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ian Holcomb, Austyn Johnson,  Jay Aubrey Jones, Kylie Kuioka and Ashley Robinson -- perform well as an ensemble, even though they were never on the same set. Kudos to the creative staff -- Charlie Corcoran, scenic design; Meridith Sommers, video editing; M. Florian Staab, sound design and mix; Michael Gottlieb, lighting; Tracy Christensen, costumes; John Bell, musical direction -- for bringing off a unique experiment so successfully. It will be running until January 2. Go to irishrep.org for tickets. $25 is the suggested contribution.