My Name Is Asher Lev
By Aaron Posner
Adapted from the book by Chaim Potok
An Area Premiere Production


Asher Lev is a 12-year old boy from a strictly observant Jewish community in Brooklyn whose love of art is awakened when his mother takes him to a museum. This trip begins an exploration of a world that inexplicably resonates with his young soul. To the horror of his parents, he begins to draw Jesus and crucifixes, leading to a struggle with his parents over religion, morality, and art. As he matures through his teen years and into adulthood, his unyielding passion leads him on a journey through the crossroads of heritage, culture, diversity, and identity.

Hershel and the
Hanukkah Goblins
By Shari Aronson
Adapted from the book by Eric A. Kimmel

Winner of the 2009 Ivey Award
for Chris Griffith and his puppets!

Back by Demand!

Hershel of Ostropol has been walking long and hard with growing anticipation for the Hanukkah holiday. Tired and hungry, he imagines the smell of latkes and the bright lights of the menorah. But when Hershel arrives in Helmsbergville, the village is silent. Goblins have been preventing Hanukkah in Helmsbergville for years. Can this visitor help bring Hanukkah back? Enlisted by the townspeople, Hershel agrees to spend eight nights in the old synagogue to try to defeat the goblins. This delightful, interactive play with puppetry brings to life the enchanting storybook Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins!

“Adults and children LOVED IT!!
- Teacher, Oneka Elementary School, Hugo, MN

Goats
By Alan Berks
An Area Premiere Production


Backpacking overseas, a 20-something guy from Chicago takes a job tending to 160 goats for a farmer in a secluded area 45 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Each day he treks into the mountains where he must wrestle and wrangle with the goats, and each night he struggles to understand the language of a cheesemaker who barely speaks. Colorful characters contribute to the backdrop of this nearly unbelievable yet true, poignant, coming-of-age story. A hit in a shorter version at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2004, this solo piece is a story not-to-be-missed.

The Gospel
According to Jerry
By Richard Krevolin and Irwin Kula
A World Premiere Production

Jerry Silver is a divorced rabbi in a Yankees ball cap searching to fill a personal void. Nia Thompson is a reserved African American woman desperate to lose weight. Their lives intersect when Nia signs up for an overeaters' anonymous group that Jerry is leading for his master's degree. With just one participant signed up for the group, Jerry must work hard to keep things flowing. A heartwarming relationship unfolds in this funny new play that takes a contemporary look at family, Jewish - African American connections, stereotypes, and spirituality.