Sholem Asch's
The Dead Man
Translated by Caraid O'Brien
Additional programming support provided by Manbites Dog Theater Fund
Book in Hand Staged Reading. 75 minutes. No intermission.
September 7 at 7:30 pM and September 10 at 3:00 pM
2023
$15 Adults. $5 Students/Educators
Limited seating - beautiful location on the lake.
JCC of Greater Raleigh, 12804 Norwood Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613
David R. Kahn Community Campus. LAKESIDE building. Park in gravel lot, or accessible lakeside lot if appropriate.
Written by Sholem Asch, Translation by Caraid O'Brien
Directed by Jorie Slodki
THE DEAD MAN is a timeless story of heartbreak and strength, and its relevance to today’s global moment is striking. “The play focuses on a traumatized community trying to move forward,” said O’Brien. “Together, they chip through the darkness by not shying away from their collective horror.”
In the wake of WWI, the Jewish residents of a destroyed shtetl come together to discuss how--or if--they should rebuild. From the playwright who wrote the Yiddish drama classic "God of Vengeance" comes a new translation of his 1922 work, THE DEAD MAN, Sholem Asch’s haunting WWI drama. Surviving members of a Jewish community gather in the rubble of a decimated synagogue in Poland in the aftermath of the war. Ravaged by destruction, hunger, and the influenza pandemic, how will they rebuild their lives? Dealing with dislocation, madness, and death, all they have left is a powerful hope for a prosperous, new future. They consider moving to Palestine or America or staying and rebuilding in Poland. During their debate, a young Jewish soldier arrives. He had left the community to join the army and was rumored to have died in battle. He returns from the front to tell his neighbors that he has found a new land where Jews won’t be persecuted, can live safely and comfortably, and with food and jobs for everyone. They hope this dream is true.
Ages: 16+
Partners: JCC of Greater Raleigh, Yiddish Book Center (Amherst. MA)
ARCHIVED information:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17: 6:30 pm Pre-show. Meet the Director. Refreshments on the lakeside deck. 7:30 pm show
THURSDAY, MAY 18: 6:30 pm to 7:10 Via Zoom, in the theater or in your home: Zoom interview with the Translator. Caraid O'Brien uses "her superb theatrical ear and facility for transforming Yiddish work into relevant contemporary text." Director Jorie Slodki and O'Brien discuss the work that inspired Asch to write the play, and the importance of translating authentically.
7:30 pm Performance
SUNDAY MAY 21:
3:00 pm matinee performance, 7:00 pm Performance
Recommended for Ages 16+
