PREMIERE OF A NEW HANUKKAH PLAY

Written and directed by Edward Einhorn

At The Looking Glass Theatre,
422 W. 57th St (between 9th & 10th Ave.)

Sundays at 2pm
December 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2008 

See the production photos or BUY THE BOOK

Playing Dreidel with Judah Maccabee, an original Hanukkah play in which a contemporary boy named Jonathan meets the historical Judah Maccabee. The play features shadow puppets among its storytelling techniques.

The play is told in eight scenes, corresponding to the eight days of Hannukah.  Judah and the boy find each other in an abandoned room that exists in both the ancient temple in Jerusalem and the boy’s modern day temple, and the boy explains to Judah the odd modern practices that commemorate the ancient battles.  At first Judah is horrified, but then he comes to learn why the boy needs those traditions.

The play examines the concepts of ancient and modern perspectives on war and religion, but at the same time it is a celebration of perseverance during difficult times.  It is filled with music and humor that transcends difficult circumstances.

The play features Peter Bean* as Judah Maccabee and Dmitri Friedenberg* as the Jonathan (both pictured above), as well as the puppets of Evolve Company (Tanya Khordoc and Barry Weil), and the fight choreography of Cory Einbinder.