In what may be blatant self promotion, last week I wrote about the play I am directing. This week I am continuing to promote the play, but also adding my director’s notes from the program to describe the issues explored in the play that I find relevant to our TBH community. I hope that you can come to see it.
We need to know who we are and where we come from. The intensity of this need varies with individuals and many other factors, but in most cases at some point we have to face it, embrace it, or reject it. The characters in this play are Jewish and have the option of assimilating or passing. Leigh Anglicizes her name and in many ways rejects her heritage, but in the end can she escape it or does she really want to even though history and current events indicate that it can be dangerous to be Jewish? How much of who we are is shaped by our experiences or even the experiences of those who came before us? Do the traumatic memories of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust haunt, not only the survivors, but their children and grandchildren? How strong are our the ties to the sadness, terror, joys, and pride of our history? Can we leave the past in the past and live for our present and future? Are some things best not to remember?
At its heart this play is about how we perceive our parents, grandparents, sons and daughters, and their personal and cultural past, present and future as symbolized by possessions. How much of the past do we share? How do we face the future? While Leigh struggles to do what is right for her mother, Esther clings to her possessions. Each item represents a loved one or a cherished or perhaps romanticized time and place. Leigh is acting from love, but does her efforts to remove clutter partner with dementia to rob Esther of her memories? Without her stuff, her memories, what remains of her?
Margy Kahn’s thoughtful and moving play asks us to reflect on our connection to the past, our hopes for the future, and end of life choices. How do we reconcile our love and hope with the trauma and joys of the past, diminished capacity and mortality?
Here are links to some reviews:
In what may be blatant self promotion, last week I wrote about the play I am directing. This week I am continuing to promote the play, but also adding my director’s notes from the program to describe the issues explored in the play that I find relevant to our TBH community. I hope that you can come to see it.
We need to know who we are and where we come from. The intensity of this need varies with individuals and many other factors, but in most cases at some point we have to face it, embrace it, or reject it. The characters in this play are Jewish and have the option of assimilating or passing. Leigh Anglicizes her name and in many ways rejects her heritage, but in the end can she escape it or does she really want to even though history and current events indicate that it can be dangerous to be Jewish? How much of who we are is shaped by our experiences or even the experiences of those who came before us? Do the traumatic memories of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust haunt, not only the survivors, but their children and grandchildren? How strong are our the ties to the sadness, terror, joys, and pride of our history? Can we leave the past in the past and live for our present and future? Are some things best not to remember?
At its heart this play is about how we perceive our parents, grandparents, sons and daughters, and their personal and cultural past, present and future as symbolized by possessions. How much of the past do we share? How do we face the future? While Leigh struggles to do what is right for her mother, Esther clings to her possessions. Each item represents a loved one or a cherished or perhaps romanticized time and place. Leigh is acting from love, but does her efforts to remove clutter partner with dementia to rob Esther of her memories? Without her stuff, her memories, what remains of her?
Margy Kahn’s thoughtful and moving play asks us to reflect on our connection to the past, our hopes for the future, and end of life choices. How do we reconcile our love and hope with the trauma and joys of the past, diminished capacity and mortality?
From the President – March 25, 2022
March 25, 2022 by tbhrich • president
In what may be blatant self promotion, last week I wrote about the play I am directing. This week I am continuing to promote the play, but also adding my director’s notes from the program to describe the issues explored in the play that I find relevant to our TBH community. I hope that you can come to see it.
We need to know who we are and where we come from. The intensity of this need varies with individuals and many other factors, but in most cases at some point we have to face it, embrace it, or reject it. The characters in this play are Jewish and have the option of assimilating or passing. Leigh Anglicizes her name and in many ways rejects her heritage, but in the end can she escape it or does she really want to even though history and current events indicate that it can be dangerous to be Jewish? How much of who we are is shaped by our experiences or even the experiences of those who came before us? Do the traumatic memories of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust haunt, not only the survivors, but their children and grandchildren? How strong are our the ties to the sadness, terror, joys, and pride of our history? Can we leave the past in the past and live for our present and future? Are some things best not to remember?
At its heart this play is about how we perceive our parents, grandparents, sons and daughters, and their personal and cultural past, present and future as symbolized by possessions. How much of the past do we share? How do we face the future? While Leigh struggles to do what is right for her mother, Esther clings to her possessions. Each item represents a loved one or a cherished or perhaps romanticized time and place. Leigh is acting from love, but does her efforts to remove clutter partner with dementia to rob Esther of her memories? Without her stuff, her memories, what remains of her?
Margy Kahn’s thoughtful and moving play asks us to reflect on our connection to the past, our hopes for the future, and end of life choices. How do we reconcile our love and hope with the trauma and joys of the past, diminished capacity and mortality?
Here are links to some reviews:
In what may be blatant self promotion, last week I wrote about the play I am directing. This week I am continuing to promote the play, but also adding my director’s notes from the program to describe the issues explored in the play that I find relevant to our TBH community. I hope that you can come to see it.
We need to know who we are and where we come from. The intensity of this need varies with individuals and many other factors, but in most cases at some point we have to face it, embrace it, or reject it. The characters in this play are Jewish and have the option of assimilating or passing. Leigh Anglicizes her name and in many ways rejects her heritage, but in the end can she escape it or does she really want to even though history and current events indicate that it can be dangerous to be Jewish? How much of who we are is shaped by our experiences or even the experiences of those who came before us? Do the traumatic memories of the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust haunt, not only the survivors, but their children and grandchildren? How strong are our the ties to the sadness, terror, joys, and pride of our history? Can we leave the past in the past and live for our present and future? Are some things best not to remember?
At its heart this play is about how we perceive our parents, grandparents, sons and daughters, and their personal and cultural past, present and future as symbolized by possessions. How much of the past do we share? How do we face the future? While Leigh struggles to do what is right for her mother, Esther clings to her possessions. Each item represents a loved one or a cherished or perhaps romanticized time and place. Leigh is acting from love, but does her efforts to remove clutter partner with dementia to rob Esther of her memories? Without her stuff, her memories, what remains of her?
Margy Kahn’s thoughtful and moving play asks us to reflect on our connection to the past, our hopes for the future, and end of life choices. How do we reconcile our love and hope with the trauma and joys of the past, diminished capacity and mortality?
Here are links to some reviews:
Marin IJ
Aisle Seat Review
Tickets are available here
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when? -Rabbi Hillel
~ Michael R Cohen, President, Temple Beth Hillel