The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will present a new version of Paddy Chayefsky's The Tenth Man beginning May 17 Off-Broadway at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
The newly commissioned Yiddish translation, by Eleanor Reissa and Harvey Varga, will also be directed by Tony nominee Reissa (Those Were the Days). Performances will continue through June 11. Casting will be announced at a later date.
The Tenth Man, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, is an American retelling of the dybbuk story as a human comedy in which audiences question who is really possessed: the young, passionate, religious granddaughter of one of the elderly congregants or the successful, yet cynical Manhattan lawyer.
“This play addresses the topic of spiritual crisis with astonishing warmth, humor, and depth,” said Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director at NYTF. “Such a work is truly fitting for inclusion in our Season of Spiritual Resistance, as we explore spiritual struggle on the stage, in all its complexity and variety.”
“Paddy Chayefsky’s play reminds us of a world gone by as it challenges us to grapple with the contemporary existential question, ’What is that destructive, demoralizing, deadly spirit that inhabits us?’ Is it cynicism? Hatred? Bitterness?” added Reissa. “And the good news for us all is that Chayefsky gives us the answer! This play is as relevant today as when it was written, taking us on a holy human journey.”
The production, which will be performed in Yiddish with English and Russian supertitles, will also have costume design by Tracy Christensen, lighting design by Betsy Adams, scenic design by James Noone, sound design by Dan Moses-Schreier, and prop design and fabrication by Kathy Fabian/Propstar LLC.
For tickets, visit NYTF.org.
