To celebrate the Pittsburgh premiere of Paula Vogel's Tony Award-nominated play "Indecent," the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives is partnering with the Pittsburgh Public Theater on a series of programs highlighting the rich history of Yiddish theater in Pittsburgh.
"Indecent," which runs through May 19 at the O'Reilly Theater, follows the trajectory of Sholem Asch's controversial "God of Vengeance," the first play by a Jewish playwright to open on Broadway. Asch wrote the play in Yiddish in 1906 when he was 26 years old. As "Indecent" theatrically moves through time from Warsaw to Berlin, St. Petersburg to Constantinople, Bratislava to New York, brief scenes from "God of Vengeance" are performed and we learn the story of a Jewish brothel owner who uses his profits to arrange a marriage for his daughter until she falls in love with one of his prostitutes. "God of Vengeance" was a hit in Europe in its original Yiddish, but when it arrived on Broadway in an English adaptation in 1923, the cast was arrested for obscenity. Writing from varied points of view and with a lot of humor, Vogel relates the impact of this play on its stage manager, acting troupe, and the audiences who saw it.
After the matinee performance of "Indecent" at
2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28
, Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives Director Eric Lidji will present "Behind the Scenes of the Fascinating, True History of Yiddish Theater in Pittsburgh," telling the story of two "God of Vengeance" productions here in Pittsburgh.
Throughout the entire run of "Indecent," the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives will showcase an exhibit about the history of Yiddish theater in Pittsburgh in the reading room of the Detre Library & Archives, on the sixth floor of the Heinz History Center.
For tickets to the play or the matinee lecture, please call 412-316-1600 go to ppt.org. or visit the O'Reilly Theater Box Office at 621 Penn Avenue in the heart of the downtown Cultural District.
