By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – One of the nice things about a Purimshpiel is that it doesn’t have to follow the precise script. In fact, the whole megillah can be changed, just so long as the high points of the story from the Book of Esther are included.
At Tifereth Israel Synagogue on Wednesday evening, March 4, the story of brave Queen Esther, her uncle Mordechai, the somewhat clueless King Ahashuerus, and the evil vizier Haman was rated “G” for a general audience. Credit congregants Susan Levy and Amy Stanley as the writers.
The young children who sat on the floor, with their legs splayed in front of them as they watched the Purimshpiel, didn’t have to witness Haman and family carted away and hanged; in fact, Ms. Haman (so named because the character was played by a woman, Johanna Saylor) instead fainted dead away when King Ahashuerus (Seth MacNeely) told her that he knew that Esther (Maya Klareich) was Jewish and that they planned to live happily ever after. Mordechai, played by a tall, powerful man (the congregation’s president Jerry Hermes), then dragged Ms. Haman off the stage, to cheers.
Through most of the shpiel, of course, the dominant audience reaction consisted of boos – whenever Ms. Haman’s name was mentioned, or whenever she revealed her plans to do away with the Jews. In this interactive play, there was no “fourth wall.” When the audience forgot to boo Ms. Haman at one point, Ahashuerus waved his hands towards himself to remind everyone out there of their parts.
The whole shpiel was set to Broadway music, with the lyrics changed to fit the plot. For the elders in the audience, there were such old standards as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy, although the way Mordechai sang the standard, everything was “coming up Esther.” Similarly elders could reminisce to the fractured lyrics of “Luck Be A Lady” from Guys and Dolls; and “Hernando’s Hideaway” from Pajama Game.
Children, on the other hand, probably were familiar with “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof given that almost every community theater group or youth theater group has produced it at one time or another; “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from Lion King; “For Good” from Wicked; “Brand New Day” from The Wiz, and possibly “Little Girls” which Mrs. Hanahan sang in Annie, but which Ms. Haman de-bowdlerized as “Little Jews” in this production.
Prior to the 20-cast-member production, in which the Conservative congregation’s cantorial soloist Cheryl Katz played Vashti, Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal quickly read the megillah for the sake of the children, thereby teaching them to boo, shake their groggers, and their boxes of cereals and other foods whenever Haman’s name was mentioned. The foodstuffs were donated afterwards to the local Hand Up Pantry, which is a program of Jewish Family Service.
Speaking of food, when the show was over, lines formed toward the kitchen counter, from which members of the congregation’s Sisterhood sold hamentaschen in various flavors.
If in every generation another Haman rises up against us, it’s nice to know that every year plays like this one, under the direction of Susan Levy and Beth Klareich, with choreography by Amy Stanley, will be staged to help keep our spirits up!
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Your comment may be posted in the space provided below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
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