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Spirit has been part of everything we've been doing:' As she went about her tasks, Osborne had the availability of Darren Marks, a professor at Western University in London, Ontario. "I serve as a consultant for Stratford and help non-Jewish cast and crew understand Jewish history and culture he explains. "I do a large series of presen- tations about shtetl life, anti-Semitism and pogroms. I want them to see the world the way the characters would have been living in those shtetls." Also, Marks watches rehearsals to make sure that the rituals and man- nerisms are carried out correctly. For example, he has explained that Jews of those times would not cross their fingers because that is a Christian symbol. "My work comes out of a desire of directors to honor the Jewish culture represented by the creators of the show:' says Marks, who planned the Chabad Sabbath service to also include 200 uni- versity students. Rabbi Mordechai Silberberg of London offered leadership for the ser- vice and meal that followed. "When the show goes on, we're invit- ing everybody to be Jewish for two hours:' says Marks, also offering insight for the production of The Merchant of Venice, which features Sara Farb as Jessica, Shylock's daughter. "I like the role because Jessica is a very complex person:' says Farb, 26. "There are many ways to approach a character like this, which makes it inter- esting to me as an actor and someone who identifies as Jewish. "Jessica falls in love with a Christian named Lorenzo and decides to take off, marry him and convert to Christianity, leaving Shylock (Brian Bedford) without a daughter. She also robs him of every- thing he's worth. "I've never played anything quite like this before, and I can't wait to challenge myself with it:' Farb, based in Toronto, debuts with Stratford as she also takes parts in pro- ductions of Romeo and Juliet and The Three Musketeers. "This is my first time doing repertory, and it is exercising my brain:' says Farb, in professional theater since the age of 9 when she portrayed the young title char- acter in Jane Eyre the Musical. "I'm used to doing multi-tasking, but this experience involves different approaches that make for a fascinating and engaging time. Nothing is ever stale or boring:' Farb has been able to build a career without post-secondary training in perfor- mance. "I decided that rather than removing myself from a business I'd been working in for quite a while, I would stay in it and pursue an English degree at the University of Toronto, doing that part time until graduation:' explains Farb, now studying for a certificate in editing. "I have been able to sustain myself with theater, but when I feel that times are a bit dry, I write:' Among Farb's many theater credits have been Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (with Donny Osmond), A Midsummer Night's Dream and Next to Normal. Television roles have placed her in episodes of The Firm and Covert Affairs. "I was in the inaugural season of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company in Toronto:' Farb says. "I appeared in The Sisters Rosensweig. "I have participated in fundraisers for the company and other organizations that support Jewish causes. My artistic and Jewish identities do coincide some- times, and that's a lovely thing:' That coinciding came together as Farb helped with the company seder. She sang and recited prayers. "In my family, we don't generally do the parts after the meal, but it was nice to be able to do that in this case she explains. "This is the first seder I've missed with my family. "The company seder was a happy event. It was so communal with so many people interested in it:' Ian Lake, in his sixth season at Stratford, was one of the Jewish company members to join the interfaith celebration of the seder, planned by Shira Ginsler, education and editorial coordinator at Stratford. Lake, who plays Mortimer in Mary Stuart, also appears in Measure for Measure and Othello. As Mortimer, he takes the role of a young man who grew up as a Protestant in 16th-century England and converts to Catholicism while traveling. He returns to England to help free Stuart. "We have had a Catholic priest speak, and it was interesting to explore a different religion as Judaism remains an impor- tant theme of the season:' says Lake, 29, who recently appeared in a production of Hannah Moscovitch's This Is War at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre and in the tele- vision series Bomb Girls. "The characterization of religious out- siders especially comes across through [the characters of] Mary Stuart and Shylock. It's been fascinating for me to delve into another faith:" Ginsler, who has invited Lake and other company members to her home seders in previous years, was asked by company administrators to set up the company observation. "We did a lot of explaining and had los- herish' foods, including smoked brisket, gefilte fish and matzah ball soup:' she says. "It was a fun group to have together, and it was fun to share this part of my life. "I believe that expanding the experi- ences of the plays is a great way to expand the theater experience. It makes the plays even better than they already are:' ❑