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

