Back in 1967, Chaim Potok wrote "The Chosen," a coming of age story about two Jewish teens: one an Orthodox Jew, the other an Hasidic.
With that narrow focus he told a universal, heart-warming story about friendships, fathers and sons, religion and the power of silence.
In 1999, Potok and Aaron Posner adapted the 284-page book for the stage and transformed the powerful story into a two-hour play that retains the soul of the original work.
You'll find a solid production of "The Chosen" on Live Theatre Workshop's stage through Feb. 9.
There were uneven accents and uneven acting, but the story was strong enough to hold the audience's attention and get the message across, thanks to Annette Hillman's tight direction.
Potok and Posner created a grown-up Reuven to narrate the tale of friendship, discovery and heartbreak with the backdrop of the end of World War ll in Europe, the discovery of the Nazi concentration camps, Franklin D. Roosevelt's death and the creation of an Israeli state. Cliff Madison's strong turn as the narrator gave the play its heart and clarity.
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Noam Shahar portrayed the young Reuven, whose father (a solid Rick Shipman) is an intellectual powerhouse, an Orthodox Jew and a Zionist.
The father does not sit well with Reb Saunders (Bill Epstein, whose tendency is to overact), the leader of an Hasidic congregation in Brooklyn. But his son, Danny (Emilio Zweig), a brilliant boy and the heir apparent to his father's position, has formed a deep friendship with Reuven. While Reb Saunders objects to Reuven's father, he does not object to the friendship - he has long been silent with his son and finds Reuven is a good conduit to Danny.
Zweig and Shahar had the appropriate amount of innocence and intensity, but they are both inexperienced actors, and it showed at times.
Still, they had strong material to work with, and so there is a joy in seeing this powerful tale come to the stage.
Review
• What: Live Theatre Workshop's production of "The Chosen."
• By: Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from Potok's novel of the same name.
• Director: Annette Hillman.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 9. There will be an additional 3 p.m. show on Feb. 9.
• Where: Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway.
• Tickets: $18, discounts available
• Details, reservations: 327-4242, livetheatreworkshop.org
• Running time: 2 hours with one intermission.
