P
lays with Jewish content,
performers with Jewish
identity, and programs with
Jewish subjects and participants
hold a strong presence at this
year’
s Stratford Festival.
The season, which runs into
the start of November, has been
supplemented with activities,
including concerts, to enhance
the ideas and overall experiences
linked to the productions.
Two plays — Nathan the Wise
(through Oct. 11) and Birds of a
Kind (through Oct. 13) — were
scheduled to be complementary
in exploring religious divides.
Both deal with romances involv-
ing couples of different heritages.
The first play, written to take
place during the third crusade in
Jerusalem, is being staged with
time and universe adjustments
as a Jewish woman falls in love
with a Christian man. The second
play, centered on the romance of
an Arab-American woman and
a Jewish man, is established as
completely modern while explor-
ing family secrets.
To further link the plays, the
same actors appear in both.
“Nathan the Wise challenges
us on a number of different lev-
els,
” says director Birgit Schreyer
Duarte, who has been an assistant
director and translator at the
Ontario-based festival.
“We will be challenged by
watching … actions between reli-
gious leaders and thinkers, and
we’
ll find, in some ways, not that
much has changed. Its action lies
in speech.
“
All three religious groups
(Jewish, Christian and Islam)
and their representatives have
heated debates and discourse,
and we are invited to follow these
conversations and form our own
opinions.
”
Nathan the Wise, taking audi-
ences back to the 12th century,
was written in the 18th century
by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and
recently translated by Edward
Kemp. In developing the produc-
tion, Duarte used costuming and
props to establish a universe not
purely historical or contemporary.
In defining what makes
Nathan so wise, the playwright
has worked with dialogue that
compares the concept of wise to
the concept of clever. The director
cast Nathan with a female per-
former to stress that wisdom is
also found in females.
“This is a play that will invite
us to think and interrogate our
own assumptions,
” explains
Duarte, whose production will be
supplemented with a lobby talk
by human rights consultant Len
Rudner on Aug. 30. “With funny
moments, we factor in joy to
showcase the skills of characters.
We want audiences to enjoy the
thinking process.
”
Part of that thinking process
related to the plays extends
through discussions: “The Jewish
Perspectives on Peace” (June
26); “The Generative Power of
Conflict” (June 29); “Three Faiths,
Two Nations, One Land” (Aug.
25); and “Reconciling Religion”
(Sept. 25).
Duarte, who began her work
with the actors by having them
discuss their own views of the
issues, believes it is very healthy
to consider everybody else’
s
position, personal leanings and
convictions.
LITTLE SHOP ACTOR
Gabi Epstein, a longtime Stratford
fan before joining the company
this season, brings a lighthearted
tone by taking the role of Audrey
in Little Shop of Horrors (through
Nov. 2) with book and lyrics by
Howard Ashman and music by
Alan Menken.
“
Audrey is such an iconic role
in musical theater,
” Epstein says.
“I love playing her because she’
s
so opposite me in a play that [ulti-
mately explores] real issues and
real people and what we would do
for love. I think that’
s why people
can relate to it so much.
”
Epstein’
s favorite song in the
sci-fi comedy with a bloodthirsty
plant is “Somewhere That’
s
Green” because it represents uni-
versal goals and dreams.
34 May 30 • 2019
jn
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Check out
these plays and
programs with
Jewish elements.
From top: Daniel Shoag, Qasim Khan and
George Krissa in Nathan the Wise.
DAVID COOPER/STRATFORD FESTIVAL
Sights on
Sights on
Stratford?
Stratford?
details
For information about pro-
gramming at the Stratford
Festival, including productions
of Shakespeare’
s Othello,
Henry VIII and The Merry
Wives of Windsor as well as
Private Lives, The Neverending
Story and Mother’
s Daughter
— call (800) 567-1600 or go
to stratfordfestival.ca.
theater
arts&life