Wisdom from the Talmud runs through this beautiful piece like
thick mud in a cypress swamp. It’s there and it has an answer for
all the bumps in life. One wonders why we delicate mortals don’t
listen more carefully and apply its solutions to our situations
that sometime seem unsolvabable. Now there’s the rub.
”
Interpretation.
”
Wisdom from the Talmud runs through this beautiful piece like thick mud in a cypress swamp. It’s there and it has an answer for all the bumps in life. One wonders why we delicate mortals don’t listen more carefully and apply its solutions to our situations that sometime seem unsolvabable. Now there’s the rub. “Interpretation.”
Some Orthodox rabbis and learned religious Jews interpret and come up with different answers. And some don’t agree with the answers. Some are relaxed to the word of God, see a forgiving God and do not fear questioning orthodoxy. Then there is the Orthodox. In the case of this story, Hasidic fundamentalists do not question the “word” and live – for the most part – satisfied lives submerged in their faith as written with no room to wander on any other path.
We find ourselves in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the 1940s during post-war unrest. Two bright teenage boys who live just five blocks apart meet and become friends. Though they live just a few blocks from each other, their lives come from very diverse Jewish communities.
Reuven’s father is a writer and scholar who searches for new meanings and methods of interpretating Judaism. Danny’s father is a respected Hasidic rabbi who expects his son to take his place as the rabbi of his flock as the family has for centuries. The merging of the two lives and how they deal with their dreams, futures and the horror of the Holocaust makes for great theatre.
“The Chosen” presents a pristine, superb cast. Cory Fischer a founder of the Traveling Jewish Theatre, gives a formidable, fine offering as Reb Saunders (Danny’s father.) The excellent five-person cast delivers deep, unforgettable performances.
Aaron Dividman directs this delicate work with a gentle touch, painting a complicated subject with a fine brush that makes it understandable to everyone.
“The Chosen” will answer some questions about Judaism for anyone who might be interested and it will bring a deeper understanding of the faith to those who practice and understand.
***
‘The Chosen’
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View
Through: Nov. 1
Tickets: $24-$62
Details: (650) 463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org
