New play resurrects ghost of Isaac Babel

Arrested in 1939 and executed in 1940, playwright Isaac Babel’s work was suppressed for decades. But this year, Joseph Sherman and Simon Starr are resurrecting him.

“Babel has fascinated me for years both because of the contradictions within himself and those of his life story,” Sherman told The AJN. “I am inspired by his love and mastery of language of the short story form together with his irrepressible instinct for freedom of expression despite the mortal danger that he faced and paid the ultimate price for. His story and his work in the context of murderous Stalinist repression is unfortunately instructive in today’s world.”

Starr said he was transfixed by Babel the moment he read some of his work. In fact, Starr’s band YID! recorded an album shortly after, ZETS! which Starr explained is a soundtrack to Babel’s beloved Odessa.

Sherman and Starr have been friends for years and both thought a collaboration would be a great thing to do. So, All is Good… In the Glow of Moonlight was born.

“We have known each other for a long time, and always enjoyed each other’s company, so I jumped at the opportunity,” Starr explained. “I couldn’t say no to more Babel.”

All is Good… In the Glow of Moonlight follows Babel and one of his most famous creations Benya Krik – the Jewish gangster of Odessa’s Moldavanka.

To create the play, the pair spent years reading stories and biographies, comparing and contrasting notes.

“There was a lot of talking, eating and trying on a bit of music,” Sherman recalled. “Once we got the venue, we got the deadline and I put together a rough script that connected stories, biography, our responses to the material with music as a through line.”

Or as Starr put it, “this cycle of yarns, Baker Bleu fruit buns and lengthy debates about the world led us to this moment”.

Both Sherman and Starr warn the audience to expect the unexpected, as they weave a blend of the concrete and the absurd.

When asked what they hope audiences get from the play, Starr said he hopes people get a sense of “life beyond our little shtetl”, while Sherman said he hopes people feel more warmth in their soul than before they came.

“To feel in their bones the accidental miracle and privilege of being alive in this indifferent universe and to express that through compassion for yourself, others and for the planet.”

All is Good… In the Glow of Moonlight is at Explosives Factory from June 25 – July 5. For tickets, visit bit.ly/4mRDWq8