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