Episcopal’s spring production of Fiddler on the Roof, performed on the Munnerlyn stage, was a culmination of a year of planning, rehearsing, and learning. Fiddler told the story of a Jewish family living in Tsarist Russia in the early 1900's. The fine arts department set out to produce a musical that involved ALLfacets of the Episcopal community - middle and high school students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents.
The students embraced this project and began auditions and rehearsals in September with the goal being to make this endeavor a cross-curricular project that could impact the entire school. For that reason, a team of faculty members worked to make Tolerance Day focus on the anti-semetism of Tsarist Russia, and then to celebrate the Jewish community by learning Israeli dance. To that end, faculty brought in an Israeli dance teacher from the Jewish Community Center who taught Israeli dance to every student enrolled in a history class. In addition, Hebrew language teachers were brought in to offer workshops to the foreign language department. Sarah (Lebhar) Hall '92, a Hebrew professor with Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and David Lebhar, a speaker of modern Hebrew taught students the Hebrew alphabet, the history of the creation of modern Hebrew, and some Hebrew prayers in an effort to further understand the Jewish people and to connect to our faith in a new way in preparation for the play.
All the time that the extracurricular efforts were taking place, over 120 students, faculty and alumni were hard at work in rehearsals. The cast included numerous performers who never yet tried their hand at performing. Difficult dance choreography, challenging songs, comedic and dramatic scenes, a non-traditional set, tricky lighting, and a difficult score for the orchestra took months to perfect culminating in the most highly attended and deeply impactful musical this school has ever seen. To tell the truth of this story was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate Episcopals many talents.
To read more about Fiddler in the Florida Times-Union, click here.
About Fiddler:
Meet Tevye and his wife, Golde, and their five daughters as he explains the customs of Jewish faith as it takes place in 1905 in the Russian shtetl of Anatevka where life is as precarious as the perch of a fiddler on a roof. Prepare for the Sabbath meal; greet the village match maker, Yente; hear the daughters' hearts; and know Tevye's fears. Throughout the play, Tevye attempts to maintain his family and religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters whose choices threaten the customs of their faith.
This production merges the importance of communal life with the challenges of external influence, and reinforces the fact that ultimately God is in charge—an important reminder in trying times. Fiddler on the Roof is a musical which has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards (winning nine), has spawned four Broadway revivals and a successful 1971 film adaptation, and continues to experience international popularity. There is a reason why this play continues to speak to us today.