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Yichud set to preview Feb. 6 |
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Written by Atara Beck
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
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TORONTO – While attending an orthodox Jewish wedding, Dora-nominated playwright Julie Tepperman discovered the existence of a yichud (seclusion) room – a place set aside for the newly married bride and groom to be alone together for the very first time immediately following the ceremony. The concept so intrigued her that she wrote a play based on the ritual, and the result is Yichud, opening Feb. 10 at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace.
Yichud was first developed by Convergence Theatre at the local Fringe’s Next Stage Festival, and it was a success. The redeveloped production at Passe Muraille encompasses the entire theatre building, transforming it into an orthodox synagogue.
The production has an all-Jewish cast, and the actors studied the orthodox Jewish laws of separation between men and women with a rabbi, Tepperman told the Jewish Tribune.
“I think it’s a good idea to be alone before being bombarded by guests,” she said, regarding the yichud room. “I learned about its purpose as well as the myths surrounding it and about other orthodox Jewish rules concerning intimacy between men and women. The whole topic fascinated me. I wondered what it would be like to be alone for the first time in a yichud room.”
The story focuses not only on the young newlyweds – played by Tepperman and her real-life husband, Allan Willis, whom she met while studying at George Brown College Theatre School – but also on the complex relationships and tribulations involving the bride’s parents (coincidentally, Diane Flacks, who portrays the mother, was one of Tepperman’s childhood drama teachers), as well as the groom’s two brothers.
“At the end of the day, I think the characters are just human beings to whom we can all relate. We see them through an orthodox Jewish lens but the themes are universal. Just because they’re orthodox, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect, free of struggle. They have fears, desires and insecurities, like anyone else. I hope people will come with an open mind.”
According to Tepperman, the challenge in the orthodox Jewish world is for each person to retain his or her individuality while being part of a tight-knit community and maintaining its values.
“Each person has a unique, personal relationship with G-d. You can’t just paint them all with one stroke,” she said.
Tepperman hails from Thornhill and credits much of her positive attitude towards orthodoxy to a “very close and loving relationship with my grandparents. My mother grew up in a modern orthodox home. I wasn’t raised that way but I was exposed to it. It isn’t foreign.” She also frequents the traditional-egalitarian First Narayever congregation downtown.
“I think there are three principles for making a good match,” she opined. “You have to like each other, obviously; you should make sure you have the same goals in life and, most importantly, there has to be chemistry.”
As for becoming more religiously observant on a personal level, “I’m always in dialogue about it. I think anybody who is actively Jewish is always challenged on the issues of observance,” she said, adding that working on this play has brought her more in touch with her Judaism.
Yichud, presented by Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave., in association with Convergence Theatre, previews Feb. 6-10 and runs Feb. 10-27.
For information on show times and prices, call the arts box office at (416) 504-7529, or go to artsboxoffice.ca or www.passemuraille.on.ca. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 February 2010 )
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