Rescued Jewish Theater
The articles, interviews, and reviews below first appeared on All About Jewish Theatre (AAJT)—the world's largest Jewish theater website, published by its founding editor, Moti Sandak, Tel Aviv, Israel. With the support of AAJT correspondents all over the world, Moti worked on it daily for many years. Unfortunately, due to unforseen personal circumstances, Moti no longer had the time, energy, and funding to continue his life's work. As a result, the popular website came to an end and its content is no longer available publicly. However, as the Philadelphia correspondent for AAJT, I was determined to bring at least some of the work back to life.
Through the recommendation of one of my interns, I discovered the Wayback Machine—an archive with more than 338 billion web pages saved over time, which allows you to retrieve any articles published on a website in the past, including Moti's important website. It was last updated in 2014.
Below, you will find my 29 rescued AAJT texts in two sections:
(1) ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS & MORE, and (2) REVIEWS--now all in alphabetical order, listed in the RESCUED JEWISH THEATER section of DRAMA AROUND THE GLOBE. Whenever I can, I will add the images as well, all of which are available via the Wayback Machine. For an example of the original version, now graphically enhanced, see “Don’t ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!": A Dybbuk, or Between two worlds.
I am inviting all authors who contributed to AAJT to rescue their articles and post them on their websites. If you send me a link to your rescued AAJT section, I'd be happy to post it here as well.
Based on my experience with two publications that ceased to exist, I created a new section on my website, EDITOR'S DESK, where I post every article that was published outside Drama Around The Globe to increase the chance that my work will not get lost—at least for the time being.
A big thank you to Moti Sandak for his vitally important work. He not only featured theater reviews, articles, and interviews, but also scripts of Jewish plays performed in the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps. Given that Jewish culture has been suppressed in many countries throughout history, Moti's work represents a milestone that we need to honor by resurrecting one Stolperstein (stumbling stone) after another.
He recently built the Hebrew version of All About Jewish Theatre.
I herewith dedicate this page of RESCUED JEWISH THEATER to Moti Sandak, not only a deeply committed editor and theater archivist, but a real mensch who has the courage to speak truth to power—openly and honestly, no matter the consequences.
Shalom, שָׁלוֹם and Schalom--with tears and hope for a better tomorrow.
Henrik Eger
Through the recommendation of one of my interns, I discovered the Wayback Machine—an archive with more than 338 billion web pages saved over time, which allows you to retrieve any articles published on a website in the past, including Moti's important website. It was last updated in 2014.
Below, you will find my 29 rescued AAJT texts in two sections:
(1) ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS & MORE, and (2) REVIEWS--now all in alphabetical order, listed in the RESCUED JEWISH THEATER section of DRAMA AROUND THE GLOBE. Whenever I can, I will add the images as well, all of which are available via the Wayback Machine. For an example of the original version, now graphically enhanced, see “Don’t ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!": A Dybbuk, or Between two worlds.
I am inviting all authors who contributed to AAJT to rescue their articles and post them on their websites. If you send me a link to your rescued AAJT section, I'd be happy to post it here as well.
Based on my experience with two publications that ceased to exist, I created a new section on my website, EDITOR'S DESK, where I post every article that was published outside Drama Around The Globe to increase the chance that my work will not get lost—at least for the time being.
A big thank you to Moti Sandak for his vitally important work. He not only featured theater reviews, articles, and interviews, but also scripts of Jewish plays performed in the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps. Given that Jewish culture has been suppressed in many countries throughout history, Moti's work represents a milestone that we need to honor by resurrecting one Stolperstein (stumbling stone) after another.
He recently built the Hebrew version of All About Jewish Theatre.
I herewith dedicate this page of RESCUED JEWISH THEATER to Moti Sandak, not only a deeply committed editor and theater archivist, but a real mensch who has the courage to speak truth to power—openly and honestly, no matter the consequences.
Shalom, שָׁלוֹם and Schalom--with tears and hope for a better tomorrow.
Henrik Eger
Articles, Interviews & More
This section contains all my ARTICLES and INTERVIEWS for All About Jewish Theatre. The section below features all my reviews.
A:
An open letter to students of theatre arts: Gather your insights and an ounce of chutzpah: On becoming a theatre reviewer.
AJT: Vienna, Detroit, Jerusalem: Thought-provoking Jewish Theatre conferences on three continents.
D:
Dear Naava Piatka: In Memorium of a great theater artist and a real mensch.
The Diary of Anne Frank: Hidden inside the Amsterdam attic: A guide to the secret DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.
Dickens' A Christmas Carol: “Haunt me no longer!": Is Charles Dickens’ CHRISTMAS CAROL becoming the new Madoff play?
F:
Fiddler on the Roof: From Itzhak Perlman to becoming one of the best fiddlers on the roof: Interview with Alexander Sovronsky, floating and fiddling on the roofs of the Walnut Street Theatre shtetl.
Fiddler on the Roof: From Sholem Aleichem and Chagall to the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: A short GLOSSARY of historical events, characters, and actors.
T:
Theatre Critic Irene Backalenick: Flowers and applause for a theatre critic: Irene Backalenick’s 90th birthday.
Theatre Critic Irene Backalenick: An interview with Irene Backalenick, doyenne of Jewish Theatre Critics.
A:
An open letter to students of theatre arts: Gather your insights and an ounce of chutzpah: On becoming a theatre reviewer.
AJT: Vienna, Detroit, Jerusalem: Thought-provoking Jewish Theatre conferences on three continents.
D:
Dear Naava Piatka: In Memorium of a great theater artist and a real mensch.
The Diary of Anne Frank: Hidden inside the Amsterdam attic: A guide to the secret DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.
Dickens' A Christmas Carol: “Haunt me no longer!": Is Charles Dickens’ CHRISTMAS CAROL becoming the new Madoff play?
F:
Fiddler on the Roof: From Itzhak Perlman to becoming one of the best fiddlers on the roof: Interview with Alexander Sovronsky, floating and fiddling on the roofs of the Walnut Street Theatre shtetl.
Fiddler on the Roof: From Sholem Aleichem and Chagall to the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: A short GLOSSARY of historical events, characters, and actors.
T:
Theatre Critic Irene Backalenick: Flowers and applause for a theatre critic: Irene Backalenick’s 90th birthday.
Theatre Critic Irene Backalenick: An interview with Irene Backalenick, doyenne of Jewish Theatre Critics.
Reviews
This section contains all my REVIEWS of Jewish-related plays in alphabetical order, all rescued from the now defunct All About Jewish Theatre, the world's largest Jewish theater website till 2014.
A:
A Dybbuk: “Don’t ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!": A Dybbuk, or Between two worlds. EgoPo.
A Night in the Old Marketplace: World premiere of a Jewish DANSE MACABRE based on I.L. Peretz’s Yiddish play Bei Nakht Oyfn Altn Mark.
B:
Back to the Boulevard: It's Never Too Late to recover Jewish History: BACK TO THE BOULEVARD.
Broken Glass: “Why is it so hard to be a Jew?": The yearning for acceptance and love in Arthur Miller’s BROKEN GLASS.
D:
The Diary of Anne Frank: Anne Frank, alive in Philadelphia.
The Diary of Anne Frank: The architecture of evil intruding on a Jewish adolescent in hiding: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Media Theatre.
Dov and Ali: DOV AND ALI: Women as victims or bridge builders?
Driving Miss Daisy: DRIVING MISS DAISY toward the US Elections.
H:
House Divided: Jewish Titans clashing in Israel and the US: HOUSE, DIVIDED by Larry Loebell.
I:
I Am My Own Wife: The sexual and political chameleon of Berlin: The ambiguities of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf’s life in I Am My Own Wife.
M:
The Merchant of Venice: Inside the brain and heart of Shylock, the Jew--the Quintessential MERCHANT OF VENICE.
Metronome Ticking: An unlikely pair and the lessons they teach us through METRONOME TICKING.
Metronome Ticking: Inside the heart of darkness: METRONOME TICKING at Kristallnacht world premiere in Germany.
My Name is Rachel Corrie: Changing the world, one play at a time--Israeli/Palestinian Play Festival at Philadelphia’s Interact Theatre.
N:
Nathan the Wise: You may go, but forever be my friend: American premiere of a powerful NATHAN THE WISE at People’s Light and Theatre.
O:
Oliver!: Defanged Fagin, abused children, and OLIVER!—the annual “cash cow."
P:
Playing Leni: Leni Riefenstahl: Hitler’s Film Jezebel or Female Faustus?
The Producers: Location, location, location: How theatre critics construct and deconstruct THE PRODUCERS in Berlin and in Philadelphia.
T:
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story on Stage.
V:
Visiting Mr. Green: Visiting Jewish war veterans, VISITING MR. GREEN.
A:
A Dybbuk: “Don’t ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!": A Dybbuk, or Between two worlds. EgoPo.
A Night in the Old Marketplace: World premiere of a Jewish DANSE MACABRE based on I.L. Peretz’s Yiddish play Bei Nakht Oyfn Altn Mark.
B:
Back to the Boulevard: It's Never Too Late to recover Jewish History: BACK TO THE BOULEVARD.
Broken Glass: “Why is it so hard to be a Jew?": The yearning for acceptance and love in Arthur Miller’s BROKEN GLASS.
D:
The Diary of Anne Frank: Anne Frank, alive in Philadelphia.
The Diary of Anne Frank: The architecture of evil intruding on a Jewish adolescent in hiding: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Media Theatre.
Dov and Ali: DOV AND ALI: Women as victims or bridge builders?
Driving Miss Daisy: DRIVING MISS DAISY toward the US Elections.
H:
House Divided: Jewish Titans clashing in Israel and the US: HOUSE, DIVIDED by Larry Loebell.
I:
I Am My Own Wife: The sexual and political chameleon of Berlin: The ambiguities of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf’s life in I Am My Own Wife.
M:
The Merchant of Venice: Inside the brain and heart of Shylock, the Jew--the Quintessential MERCHANT OF VENICE.
Metronome Ticking: An unlikely pair and the lessons they teach us through METRONOME TICKING.
Metronome Ticking: Inside the heart of darkness: METRONOME TICKING at Kristallnacht world premiere in Germany.
My Name is Rachel Corrie: Changing the world, one play at a time--Israeli/Palestinian Play Festival at Philadelphia’s Interact Theatre.
N:
Nathan the Wise: You may go, but forever be my friend: American premiere of a powerful NATHAN THE WISE at People’s Light and Theatre.
O:
Oliver!: Defanged Fagin, abused children, and OLIVER!—the annual “cash cow."
P:
Playing Leni: Leni Riefenstahl: Hitler’s Film Jezebel or Female Faustus?
The Producers: Location, location, location: How theatre critics construct and deconstruct THE PRODUCERS in Berlin and in Philadelphia.
T:
Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story on Stage.
V:
Visiting Mr. Green: Visiting Jewish war veterans, VISITING MR. GREEN.
