Press Release: Domino Theatre, Village of Idiots by John Lazarus
Village of Idiots
by John Lazarus
March 2-18, 2017
DIRECTED BY GORD LOVE:
Rube Goldberg machines are weird and ingeniously complicated ways to make
simple things happen. Stories about the village of Chelm are a bit like that. The
simple idea of the old stories was that Chelmniks absolutely believed they were
blessed with wisdom—that no matter what happened in the short term, their
decisions would ultimately turn out to be wise. In fact they called themselves The
Village of the Wise. The humour was watching them confidently come up with
ludicrous and usually disastrous solutions to simple problems—so ludicrous that
Outsiders began to call them the Village of Idiots.
When penny newspapers, like the internet today, created a huge appetite for
stories of any kind, authors great and minor all took a shot at writing new Chelm
stories and the village population ballooned accordingly. When Jewish readers
became particular fans of Chelm stories, the village became Jewish.
Playwright John Lazarus gathered many Chelm stories into one play, which has
been entertaining people around the world for over 30 years. Now living in
Kingston, he’ll be on hand to add his wisdom and devilish humour to our
production at Domino. The problem that John himself added for Chelmniks to
solve in their unique way is Cossacks. What do you do about people who just
don’t find you funny and are quite ready to kill you? (Spoiler alert: the Chelmniks,
in their bumbling but good hearted way, prevail.) John says, “This play is based
on very old jokes and folk tales, but in these crazy times it seems, alas, truer than
ever. As Miriam says, the Chelmniks may be idiots, but those other ones out
there are crazy. However, if you, like Yosef, love a good story, then as Miriam
says, you’ve come to the right village.” The cast of 21 is led by Angie Dorey and
Damien Schaefer as two Outsiders succumbing to the charms of Chelm. The
bumbling but always confident Chelmniks include Michael Chabon, Renee
O’Farrell, Cassell Miles, Garrett McCrea, Poul Busk, Naomi Greer Ballance,
Elizabeth Taylor and ten others. Gord Love directs, David Row designed the
set, Dave Smith will handle lighting, Rachel Vandenberg the costumes, and
Leslee Oliver will stage manage. It runs March 2-4th, 9-11, and 16-18 at 7:30
p.m. and it’s the Domino entry into the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival.
. A word from John Lazarus the author: (Jan. 26th, 2017)
Last night I sat in on the first read-through of a new production by Domino
Theatre, a local amateur company, of Village of Idiots, my play based on
Jewish folklore. A very fine director (Gord Love), & a delightful cast. The play
is 32 years old: I started it on my last typewriter & finished it on my 1st
computer. It's my most-produced play: this is its 2nd production just in
Kingston. It's been done in Venice (in Italian) & Singapore (this year); as a CBC
radio mini-series, a 12-minute NFB cartoon, & a staged reading at New York's
famed 92nd Street Y. I can count a dozen different productions that I have
seen, if only in rehearsal. It was like going home to visit a dear old friend - or
about 20 old friends, with new faces. I laughed again at some very old jokes
delivered in new ways, & got a little teary at some serious moments. Then,
after the read-through, I gave them a couple dozen rewrites.
Cast In Order Of Appearance:
THE CHILD
Esme Purdy
ZALMAN
Jarrett Hains
ZLATEH
Vanessa Delzotto Hammond
MESHOLEM
Cassel Miles
YOSEF
Damien Schaefer
SCHMENDRICK
Garrett McCrae
ZISYAH
Dylan Chenier
SOLDIERS &/OR
CHELMNIKS
Grant Buckler
Oscar Cadeau
Mitch Nasheim
Phyllis Scully
Beth Sirett
RABBI
Michael Capon
FEYVEL
Poul Busk
FEIGELA
Naomi Greer Balance
YOSSEL
Ben Hudson
ISKA
Hayley Hudson
REBBETSIN
Renee O’Farrell
MIRIAM
Angie Dorey
GITTEL
Elizabeth Taylor
COSSACK OFFICER
Mitch Nasheim
BRODSKY
Grant Buckler
Start time: 7:30 p.m.
(please note this season’s new 7:30 p.m. start time for all
productions)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights
DOMINO THEATRE
52 CHURCH STREET
KINGSTON, ONT.
K7M 1H3
Tickets available at:
The Grand Theatre box office 613-530-2050
Online at: www.kingstongrand.ca
Or at the Domino Theatre door the night of the performance if
tickets available
(please note: cash only at the door)
Seniors and members $16 at the door Thursdays only.
Adults: $20
Students: $10
Children: $10
a com edy by
John Lazar us
dir ected by
Gor d Love
Thur sday thr ough Satur day; M ar ch 2 - 18 , 20 17
cur tain tim e 7:30 p.m .
M
L
E
H
C
Tickets available thr ough the
Gr and Theatr e Box Office
visit
www.dom inotheatr e.com
for m or e infor m ation
Pr esented w ith per m ission of
Sa m uel Fr ench
W ith the suppor t of the K ingston M edia Gr oup
See it live ... a t the D OM I N O!