Hillel Provides New Drama Opportunities

A play about supposed misunderstanding is the vehicle through which the newly-formed Hillel Drama Society hopes to bridge its own internal gaps while fostering dialogue on campus.

On May 2, 4 and 5, the Lerner Black Box will house the group's first production, Larry Shue's The Foreigner, winner of the 1985 New York Obie and the Outer Circle Critics awards for off-Broadway productions.

There was a growing demand within the Jewish community for more artistic and cultural outlets, according to Drama Society co-founder and co-producer Jonathan Reich, CC '04, necessitated by both religious constraints and a craving for cultural expression.

Members of the Jewish community who observe Shabbat, sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, are unable to join any group which rehearses, performs, or tours during this time, which limits observant Jews from participating in most campus productions and performance groups.

Additionally, Reich, who performed in and assisted with the production of Barnard College Musical Theater's production of Pirates of Penzance last semester, said there was a strong interest among several Hillel members in staging productions that were "culturally oriented."

The Foreigner tells the story of two British men, Froggy and Charlie, who arrive as guests at a fishing lodge in rural Georgia. Confusion ensues when Froggy, a demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at an adjacent base, passes off Charlie, who is debilitated by shyness, as a foreigner whose native tongue is not English. In this disguise, Charlie becomes privy to the deepest, darkest secrets of the citizens of this Deep South town.

There is no major Jewish content in the play, and Reich says that the Society did not want the inclusion of a Jewish theme to be "a limiting factor" on the work they selected. He did say, however, that the key themes of The Foreigner, racism and xenophobia, are important issues for the Jewish community to address, especially given world events following Sept. 11.

Another important goal of the Hillel Drama Society is to "provide a common ground" and use "art and culture to bridge the internal gaps within Columbia Hillel," which Reich said has become an increasing problem that the community leaders are trying to address.

During his time at Columbia, Joshua Reich (no relation to Jonathan), CC '02 and society cofounder, says he has become sensitized to the lack of a cohesive campus community. "I have seen that lack of unity and simple friendliness mirrored and perhaps even magnified."

Joshua Reich, who had never been involved with theater until now, feels that the Drama Society "creates a space where individuals from very different places, within the Hillel Jewish community and outside of it, can get to know each other. When we start interacting with each other, we begin to understand and appreciate each other in a new way."

Cofounder and co-tech director Daniel Horn, CC '04, believes that the Society will "do a great service to the Jewish community," affording students the opportunity to cross the interdenominational gap. He feels that so far, this "vision has proven accurate."

In fact, the group is in the process of applying for a grant from the national Hillel's student initiatives grant, which recognizes programs that bring new vitality to Jewish life on campus.

Joshua Reich feels that The Foreigner provides the Society with a good mix of high comedy performance while dealing with the "fundamental problem of human interaction--getting along with people whom we perceive to be unlike ourselves."

Director Ruthie Oland, BC '03, has a clear vision for The Foreigner. "What I really hope to do with [The Foreigner] is to make it as serious as possible, as real as possible, and raise the stakes to a very high level," Oland says.

Oland transferred from NYU's Drama Program at the Tisch School of the Arts and Playwrights Horizon Theater School where she majored in acting and directing. Although she learned a lot from the program she found it "a little too draining creatively." Since her arrival at Barnard, she has performed in two projects for the directing class. The Foreigner is her first full-scale directing project.

Auditions were held Sunday and Tuesday evening in the Kraft Center, with callbacks on Wednesday evening. Oland, who regrets that the play boasts only two female roles, said that roughly 50 students came out, many of whom were far from seasoned actors, noting their prior experience as playing a tree in their third grade play. Many of these inexperienced auditioners are active members of Hillel who came out specifically to support the new group.

Jonathan Reich was also pleased by the turnout: "I was very happy with the talent and enthusiasm we encountered. The broad cross-section of Jewish auditioners who showed up was also very heartening."

The group is not limited to Jewish members, and Jonathan Reich says he welcomes involvement from those not involved with Hillel. The group made a conscious decision to hold the production in Lerner as opposed to the Kraft Center to emphasize its inclusiveness.

"[We plan to be] a full-fledged, respectable member of the drama community," says Jonathan Reich.

Joshua Reich believes that the Drama Society will have a "malleable" identity that will be redefined and reinterpreted by each new group of students who become involved.

"However," says Joshua Reich, "the things that I hope remain constant are our dedication to reaching out and creating an environment where students of all different backgrounds--religious, sectarian, ethnic, racial--can come together and enjoy their passion for theater. We want to be lighthearted but also hold ourselves to a high level of artistic achievement and carry a serious message."