Theater Between Addresses
Shabbtai Tsvi: Staged Reading
Aug 18, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St, Amherst
Shabbtai Tsvi by Sholem Asch
Translated Yiddish-to-English and adapted by Weaver
Directed by Yankl Krakovsky
Music composed by Rebecca Mac
This 1908 play, never before performed in its entirety, tells the story of the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Shabbtai Tsvi, the 17th century Ottoman Jewish mystic whose messianic aspirations attracted a following of thousands of Jews from every corner of the earth. Shabbtai Tsvi takes place throughout the Yiddish Book Center grounds and orchard, and the audience is free to explore the environment freely throughout the play. As an audience member, it is your choice how you engage with the mass feeling of messianism; will you stand on the edges and watch, or join in the dance of liberation?
This outdoor immersive reading runs roughly 90 minutes. Tickets are a sliding scale with 100% of each ticket going directly to compensating the artists involved in the production. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
The Yiddish Book Center will be open 10-4, and attendees are encouraged to visit the Center prior to the performance.
Performance will take place on Sunday, August 18 at 2 PM
ACCESSIBILITY: This performance will be processional, and will require audience members to move over uneven ground between areas where scenes will be staged. Standing and moving among the performers is encouraged, but chairs will be available for audience members who need to sit between moments of procession. It is likely to be hot, sunny and buggy, so please wear appropriate clothing, apply sunscreen and bug spray, and check thoroughly for ticks afterwards. Bathrooms and water will be available inside the Yiddish Book Center. In case of extreme weather, our backup location will be the Kligerman-Greenspun Performance Hall inside the Yiddish Book Center. If we perform inside, per Theater Between Addresses policy, masks will be mandatory and provided.