The PlayFinder™

BONTCHE SCHWEIG is based on a story by I. L. Peretz. As described by Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times, BONTCHE SCHWEIG "is a wonderful one-act piece. Having died after a wretched and barren life on earth, Bontche Schweig now comes to heaven for his reward. Since life has taught him to expect nothing, he expects nothing in heaven. Even when the angels turn out to honor him he remains mute and bewildered." When he is offered anything he wants as a reward for his gentl... Read more

THE HIGH SCHOOL is based on a work by Sholom Aleichim. According to The New York Times, the play "…it narrates the story of two Jewish parents who try to get their son admitted to a nonreligious school. In Russia at the time there was a quota for Jewish boys who wanted to attend regular schools Essentially, it is the story of one small though persistent attempt to break out of segregation. But it is not arguing a thesis. What endears it to the theatregoer is its bittersw... Read more

A TALE OF CHELM is based on folk tales of a village in Eastern Europe, which village was cheated of its rightful quota of intelligence—the angel charged with distributing souls spilled her bag of foolish souls as she flew over Chelm and one of the results was a Melamed—a teacher—who couldn't tell the difference between a nanny goat and a billy goat. The play tells of his constantly frustrated attempts to buy a milch goat for his wife.... Read more

A number of the most famous Tevya stories have been adapted by Mr. Perl into a highly amusing, warm-hearted play. First, the scene in which Tevya, a poor drayman, happens to do a favor to a rich family. In gratitude they give him money and a milk cow—and Tevya the drayman becomes Tevya the dairyman. Most of the play, however, is concerned with the marrying off of Tevya's two eldest daughters. Each time Tevya and his wife Golde have begun to arrange advantageous matches for the ... Read more

The three plays are bound together by the narrative of Mendele the Book Seller, who connects the three different expressions of Eastern European Jewish life of the last century. A Tale of Chelm is based on folk tales of a village in Eastern Europe, which village was cheated of its rightful quota of intelligence—the angel charged with distributing souls spilled her bag of foolish souls as she flew ov... Read more