For diaspora Jews, the High Holidays are always early or late — never on time — and this year with Rosh Hashanah beginning the evening of Oct. 2, they’re late.
Year after year, though, the performing arts season moves into high gear shortly after Labor Day — right on time. This fall will see a varied mix of theater, film, music and museum shows that reflect Jewish themes, tell Jewish stories and wrestle with issues from the rise in antisemitism to the ongoing war and hostage crisis that Israel faces. And for the first time I can recall since covering Jewish arts and culture, we have three Chanukah plays — one each in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Theater
Arguably the most important play to come to a stage in the DMV this fall, “Prayer for the French Republic,” fresh off its Broadway run, is a chilling and prescient study of the disturbing spike in antisemitism produced by Theater J playwright Joshua Harmon — who penned “Bad Jews,” the most-produced new play of 2014-15. This play touches a nerve in excavating the chilling fears a French-Jewish family faces when it becomes clear they can’t walk the streets of Paris with anything that might identify them as Jewish. It runs at Theater J from Oct. 30-Nov. 24.
Derek Goldman, who directs the theater program at Georgetown University, has devised and directed an original work, “The Art of Care,” for Mosaic Theater Company on stage Oct. 31-Nov. 24. A world premiere, the work features an ensemble of D.C.’s finest performers sharing personal experiences on caregiving and its many facets, from family caregivers to medical professionals, policymakers, neighbors and the greater community.
In December, the D.C. area will see three different Chanukah shows. Oh, by the way, Chanukah is “late” this year, beginning the night of Dec. 25.
Round House Theatre in Bethesda welcomes the world premiere of “A Hanukkah Carol,” a full-fledged musical centering on a misanthropic millennial influencer and what the writers describe as her “madcap journey” into Chanukahs past — eh, sound familiar, Charles Dickens? The show, with music by Aaron Kenny and book and lyrics by Rob Berliner, runs Nov. 20-Dec. 22.
From Dec. 5-8, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” based on the beloved children’s book by Eric Kimmel, runs at the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.
“Tiny Lights” is aimed at preschool through fifth grade students and their families. Playwright, director and American University theater professor Aaron Posner adapts selected Isaac Bashevis Singer folktales to simple, funny stories that will have kids and their companions laughing. This Theater J production runs on weekends from Dec. 7-15 and daytime from Dec. 10-11 at the Edlavitch DCJCC’s Cafritz Hall.
Music
Beloved Maryland multi-instrumentalist Seth Kibel returns to the Edlavitch DCJCC for a Sunday morning concert Nov. 3. Daryl Davis joins him to celebrate the influence of Jewish-owned record labels, from Chess Records to Atlantic, which launched careers of iconic singers like Tina Turner, Etta James, Little Richard, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
Israeli-trained, Boston-based klezmer clarinetist Itay Dayan brings an evening of klezmer music drawn from the recently rediscovered 1927 “Hoffman Book,” a collection of 160 little-heard compositions. Joined by a quartet of contemporary klezmorim, “Hoffman’s Farewell” — at the Edlavitch DCJCC on Oct. 20 — moves between old-fashioned klezmer and contemporary stylings.
Popular singer Matisyahu, who takes inspiration from reggae, rock, hip-hop and beatboxing for his soulful music, brings an all-acoustic evening to Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, on Nov. 16.
Film
On Sept. 24 and 25, JxJ celebrates the doyenne of Washington filmmakers, Aviva Kempner, on the 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking documentary, “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg.” The screening also marks the 90th anniversary of Jewish baseball great Hank Greenberg’s decision not to play in a crucial pennant game on Yom Kippur.
The Spanish-language dark comedy “Most People Die on Sundays” runs Oct. 4 and 6 and follows a prodigal but “nebishy” son’s return home to his neurotic family in Argentina for his uncle’s funeral. He does everything possible to avoid seeing his dying father. All films run at the Edlavitch DCJCC’s Cafritz Hall.
Galleries and Museums
Following the success of the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum’s Jewish deli exhibit, the focus shifts to superheroes and conversation bubbles on Nov. 1. “JewCE: The Jewish Comics Experience” uncovers the Jewish origin stories of the iconic comic book genre, which from 1930 through the 1960s was replete with Jewish creators, writers and artists from Spiderman to Superman to Senorita Rio. Contemporary graphic novels also get a look.
North Carolina fabric artist Ruth Simon McRae experiments with layering complex color combinations, patterns and textures in experimenting with Jewish pieces including tallitot — prayer shawls — and other ritual items. She shares her work in “Tiferet: A Series of Handmade Judaic Textiles” at the Goldman Art Gallery at the Bender JCC from Sept. 13–Oct. 20.
Lisa Traiger is Washington Jewish Week’s arts correspondent.
