Posen Foundation Brings Free Staged Reading of David Ives’
Hit Off-Broadway Show,
New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza
to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
Presented by University of Cincinnati’s Center for Jewish Studies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY: Tuesday, July 27 at 7:00 pm
Contacts:
Center for Cultural Judaism (for The Posen Foundation), Myrna Baron, 212-564-6711 x301
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Rebecca Bromels, 513-325-7918
University of Cincinnati, Dr. Miriam Raider-Roth, 513 556-3808
Cincinnati, OH, July 20, 2010 – The witty cultural drama New Jerusalem, The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656 will be performed as a free staged reading at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company on Tuesday evening, July 27, 2010. The production is guest directed by Ari Roth of Washington, DC’s Theater J, and will be held as part of the Posen Foundation National Teachers’ Seminar, a five-day conference for middle school and high school teachers that explores creative ways of teaching secular Jewish cultures, literature, and history.
“This is a superb opportunity to learn about Jewish culture and history,” says Dr. Miriam Raider-Roth, director of the UC’s Center for Studies in Jewish Education & Culture. “By introducing us to Spinoza’s work, it brings to life many of the ideas and themes that ushered in the modern age.”
The evening is sponsored by the Posen Foundation, which works internationally to support secular Jewish education, in collaboration with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Theater J, the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Studies in Jewish Education & Culture, and the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives. The Posen Foundation National Teachers’ Seminar will be conducted by UC’s Center for Studies in Jewish Education & Culture in partnership with the American Jewish Archives.
The play comes to Cincinnati after its recent successful run at Washington, DC’s Theater J and after premiering Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company in 2008. In a rave review, the Washington Post called the play “edifying” and exclaimed: “How refreshing: a play of ideas in which you actually learn something.”
Indeed the play not only dramatizes Spinoza’s provocative, subversive new ideas about politics, reason and secularism. Playwright David Ives’ wry, cerebral production also serves a pedagogical purpose:
“This terrific production illustrates how theatrical works can be studied and experienced as a way to examine secular Jewish history and culture,” said Dr. Mark Raider of UC’s History Department, who added: “Any medium—including theater—can serve as a springboard for important questions about the place of Jews and other minorities in the lives of our students.”
The drama opens with a prominent adversary of Spinoza reading Amsterdam’s Jews the riot act: “Spinoza must be silenced, and the Jews must do the silencing.” From there, the play speculates on the events preceding the real-life excommunication of the “absolute philosopher” and passionate advocate of rationalism, the idea that a man’s intellect is superior to his senses.
Dr. Raider will lead a special discussion with the director following the staged reading. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required. For advance reservations, go online to www.cincyshakes.com or call the CSC box office at 513-381-2273.
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