Enchanted Circle's "Leah" - Rich, Poignant, Educational
"Leah Enters Late: A New Page in the Story of Yiddish" graced the stage at the National Yiddish Book Center on the Hampshire College campus in Amherst, MA a number of times during the past two weeks. As I apologize for not having seen the production earlier (which eliminates the opportunity for you to see the play), let me voice a wish that the presentation return, in the future, for a follow-up engagement. Thanks to Enchanted Circle Theater artists for actualizing the concept.
The collaborative effort, which included co-producer Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), features a carefully written script by Priscilla Kane Hellweg and Rachel Kuhn Daviau which is fully realized by a talented trio of actors. Josh Perlstein as Sam Zamler, Jeannine Haas as his wife Ruth, and Laurel Butler as their granddaughter Leah, are credible and convincing as they inhabit characters within an emotive family scene.
Hellweg and Daviau wrote the script at the behest of Nora Gerard of the Book Center. The ninety minute piece, filled with echoes of the past, effectively explains the moving and purposeful work accomplished within that essential and beautiful building. It was founded by Hampshire College alumnus, Aaron Lansky.
Leah, a seventeen year old caught in the midst of a quarrel with her mother, arrives on a rainy day at the Bronx home of her grandparents, the Zamlers. The older couple, collectors of Yiddish volumes who are about to move to Florida, read many a story aloud to the audience. It is a time to share and explain. The set, effectively depicted by Vanessa James, brings us to the confines of a warm living room, evocative of the past.....
As the actors recite, they approach the audience with tales of "Mendele The Book Peddler," "Tevye the Dairyman" and others. Meanwhile, Leah, every so often, speaks of her confusion and inability to "fit in."
Surely, for Hellweg and Daviau, the process of writing included resonant reflection. Their play is both touching and instructive. The interface is obvious since Hellweg directs. It's all quite personal, valuable, and audience-interactive.
That said, Leah's character would benefit from further development. Her importance is paramount and she could use more lines. Correspondingly, the readings might be shortened just a tad. This would enhance this effective and heartfelt play's balance.
Finally, this is a play, with an intrinsic message. No one would argue that Yiddish books, language, and culture must be saved..... Some assimilationists might wish to engage in a dialogue about the thematic implications.
"Leah Enters Late" is affecting, absorbing theater and the play, I hope, will be presented here or elsewhere.
The collaborative effort, which included co-producer Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA), features a carefully written script by Priscilla Kane Hellweg and Rachel Kuhn Daviau which is fully realized by a talented trio of actors. Josh Perlstein as Sam Zamler, Jeannine Haas as his wife Ruth, and Laurel Butler as their granddaughter Leah, are credible and convincing as they inhabit characters within an emotive family scene.
Hellweg and Daviau wrote the script at the behest of Nora Gerard of the Book Center. The ninety minute piece, filled with echoes of the past, effectively explains the moving and purposeful work accomplished within that essential and beautiful building. It was founded by Hampshire College alumnus, Aaron Lansky.
Leah, a seventeen year old caught in the midst of a quarrel with her mother, arrives on a rainy day at the Bronx home of her grandparents, the Zamlers. The older couple, collectors of Yiddish volumes who are about to move to Florida, read many a story aloud to the audience. It is a time to share and explain. The set, effectively depicted by Vanessa James, brings us to the confines of a warm living room, evocative of the past.....
As the actors recite, they approach the audience with tales of "Mendele The Book Peddler," "Tevye the Dairyman" and others. Meanwhile, Leah, every so often, speaks of her confusion and inability to "fit in."
Surely, for Hellweg and Daviau, the process of writing included resonant reflection. Their play is both touching and instructive. The interface is obvious since Hellweg directs. It's all quite personal, valuable, and audience-interactive.
That said, Leah's character would benefit from further development. Her importance is paramount and she could use more lines. Correspondingly, the readings might be shortened just a tad. This would enhance this effective and heartfelt play's balance.
Finally, this is a play, with an intrinsic message. No one would argue that Yiddish books, language, and culture must be saved..... Some assimilationists might wish to engage in a dialogue about the thematic implications.
"Leah Enters Late" is affecting, absorbing theater and the play, I hope, will be presented here or elsewhere.
posted by Fred Sokol at 6:39 AM
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