New Yiddish Rep to Present a Limited Engagement of God of Vengeance

The play will be restaged and adapted by director Aaron Beall.

A scene from New Yiddish Rep's God of Vengeance, returning to New York for a limited run.
A scene from New Yiddish Rep's God of Vengeance, returning to New York for a limited run.
(© Ronald L. Glassman)

New Yiddish Rep will bring back Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance for a special encore, running for two weeks from March 14-27 at Theatre at St. Clement's. The production originally played at La MaMa in December and January. It will be restaged and adapted by director Aaron Beall.

Reprising their lead roles are Shane Baker as Yankl Tchaftchovitch and David Mandlebaum as Reb Eli. The production's cast also includes Luzer Twersky, Melissa Weisz, Eli Rosen, Yiddish theater scholar and actress Caraid O’Brien (replacing Eleanor Reissa as Sarah), and newcomer Shayna Schmidt as Rifkele. Amy Coleman and Mira Kessler return to the ensemble as well.

God of Vengeance (Got fun nekome) tells the wrenching story of a brothel owner’s attempt to marry off his daughter to lead a dignified religious life, only to have her drawn back into the life of sin in which she grew up.

In addition to being highly explosive for its conflicted view of Judaism, the show is credited with presenting the first lesbian kiss on Broadway when its English premiere was presented at the Apollo Theatre on West 42nd Street in 1923. It is the subject of Paula Vogel’s Indecent, which enjoyed a critically acclaimed extended run at the Vineyard Theatre last spring, and begins Broadway previews at the Cort Theatre on April 4.

The production is performed in Yiddish with English supertitles.

For tickets and more information, click here.

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God of Vengeance

Closed: March 27, 2017