Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 10, 2022

Connie Shakalis| Guest columnist

What do you get when five people do a new play by Anna Ziegler at Jewish Theatre of Bloomington in May?

The answer will stay a mystery until the end of "The Wanderers," because as artistic director Audrey Heller said, "I forgot to respond to your 'puzzle' interview question, but if I had, I'd have given away the twist in the story!"

Playwright Ziegler tells the story of two vastly different couples as she examines yearning, faith, senses of purpose and tacit cultural expectations.

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Esther and Schmuli are Satmar Hasidic Jews. Esther, witty and tradition-bucking, wonders, Who really understands whether or not they are happy? in this funny but dramatic play about our tendency not to be satisfied.

We also have Abe and Julia, two celebrities looking outside of their marriages for flirtation. At first, the two couples differ completely. However, hidden associations begin to appear.

According toForward.com, The Satmars support Hasidism Orthodox Judaism and have different groups that often reject modern culture, following the teachings of their rabbi-leader, or rebbe.

Here's where the puzzle, drawing in the audience, begins.The couples, it turns out, actually have much in common. They want recognizable function in their lives, and they want their marriages to be fulfilling. They are people who think there must be something more to life. Their situations differ, but they have the same wandering restlessness.

"I know people in arranged marriages,"Heller said. "My husband once asked a relativewhose marriage was arranged how he felt about it. His response was 'What did I know about girls? I had no experience dating.' Asan ultra Orthodox Jew, the focus of his life wasreligiousstudy inan all male Yeshiva (school) with no room or opportunity for cultivating female relationships."

The thoughtful, excellent'The Wanderers,' Anna Zieglers accomplished, tightly knit Chinese puzzle box of a play, is a treat for the eyes and the heart, saidThe Jerusalem Post

The "puzzle" in the play may be a secret for now, but Heller was more than willing to share what she looks for when choosing plays to produce.

"Excellent writing with dialogue that is how people really talk." She looks, too, for themes to which a diverse audience can relate, while also highlighting the Jewish experience.

Returning to live theater after these past two quiet COVID-19 years is fearsome."What with the threat of COVID constantly hovering and threatening to close down the show if actors get sick."

Management is taking all possible precautions, even hiring extra people in case someone does get sick. "Lots of unknowns," hover.

Martha Jacobs directed and looked for strong, experienced actorsbecause in the play all five roles are challenging and demand big emotional ranges.

"As always, each role has specific demands in age and appearance," Jacobs said, "but we were also looking for people who would make a good ensemble."

The play's two couples are Jewish, and Heller thinks about two-fifths of Jewish Theatre of Bloomington's audiences are not Jewish.

"The general community has been so very, very supportive of us all along," Heller said.

Performers include Indianapolis' Jen Johansen; actor, director, playwright and voice-over artist Grant Goodman;Indiana University Theatre MFA grad Isabelle Gardo;Bobby Ayala Perez, IU MFA grad student; andMinka Wiltz. The cast is strong, with two members belonging to Actors Equity Association.

WHAT: "The Wanderers" by Anna Ziegler, a new funny drama about modern love

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. May 12, 14 and 3 p.m. May 15

WHERE: The John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S .Walnut St.

TICKETS:For tickets, go tohttps://bit.ly/3vRMXpaor call 812-323-3020.

MORE INFO: http://www.jewishtheatrebloomington.com

See the original post here:

Couples' puzzling aspects revealed in Jewish Theatre's 'The Wanderers' - The Herald-Times

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