46 | OCTOBER 5 • 2023 J
N

ARTS&LIFE
THEATER

W

hen Detroit Public Theatre 
(DPT) co-founders and co-pro-
ducing Artistic Directors 
Courtney Burkett, Sarah Clare Corporandy 
and Sarah Winkler and Executive Artistic 
Producer Dominque Morisseau began 
brainstorming about which play would 
kick-off DPT’s ninth season, they knew 
that Eight Nights was just the ticket. The 
play is currently running through Nov. 5.
Eight Nights, an award-winning play by 
Jennifer Maisel, tells the story of Rebecca 
Blum (played by Rivka 
Borek and Sarah Winkler), a 
19-year-old Holocaust survi-
vor, who forges a new life in 
America in 1949. The play 
takes place over the eight 
nights of Chanukah, spanning 
eight decades of Rebecca’s 
life in a New York tenement 
apartment.
“It’s witty, deep and sur-
prising,” describes playwright 
Maisel. “It deftly weaves 
the Jewish experience with 
that of Black, Japanese and 
LGBTQIA+ Americans and of 
refugees around the world.” 
Winkler grew up in Rye, New York, and 

attended the Community Synagogue 
of Rye. Her two oldest and dearest 
friends from her hometown are the 
children of Holocaust survivors.
“
At a time when the teaching of 
history is under attack in states across 
the country, when books are being 
banned, when antisemitism and 
racist hate speech and violence are 
rising and rising, all of us at Detroit 
Public Theatre felt an urgent need to 
produce this play now,” said Winkler, 
who moved to Birmingham 10 years 
ago with her husband and three 
children. “It is a true rallying cry for 
tikkun olam — for healing and rec-
ognition of our shared humanity and for 
solidarity amongst diverse communities.”

IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS
Jennifer Maisel, who won an Ovation 
Award for Best Playwriting for Eight 
Nights, flew in to Detroit the first week of 
rehearsals from her home in Los Angeles. 
Maisel then came back for tech week and 
preview performances and was there on 
opening night to work with DPT’s cast and 
crew, seven of whom are Jewish including 
Maisel.
“It is a huge gift to have the playwright 

in the room with you. You get to explore 
the text in such depth with the expert right 
with you to answer any and all questions,” 
says Winkler, who has known Maisel for 
nearly 25 years.
Eight Nights at Detroit Public Theatre is 
the second major production of Maisel’s 
play.
“It’s important, as a writer, to keep dis-
covering what works and what possibly 
doesn’t work in the play. And one produc-
tion isn’t necessarily going to tell you that. 
I love a rehearsal room. I live for table-
work. It’s so helpful for me to listen to 
actors, designers and the director construct 

A true rallying cry for tikkun olam.

Detroit Public Theatre Presents 
Eight Nights

Sarah 
Winkler

JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Details

Eight Nights runs approximately 90 minutes 
with no intermission. Facilitated post-show 
talkbacks will follow every Saturday and 
Sunday matinee. Following Thursday and 
Friday evening performances, Eight Nights 
cast and DPT’s producing artistic directors 
will discuss themes of the show with the 
audience. To purchase tickets, go to www.
detroitpublictheatre.org/season-nine.

Jewish Cast & Crew

Rivka Borek – Rebecca Blum, Amy, Nina
Eric Gutman – Erich Blum (Rebecca’s father)
Sarah Winkler – Anna Blum, Rebecca Blum
Marya Mazor – Director
Jennifer Maisel – Playwright
Sarah Pearline – Scenic Designer
Kate Hopgood – Sound Designer

Jennifer 
Maisel

Detroit Public 
Theatre opened its 
ninth season with 
Eight Nights running 
through Nov. 5.

PHOTO BY LUMUMBA REYNOLDS