Yentl play follows a darker path
Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's 1962 Yiddish short story titled Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, it was staged by Kadimah Yiddish Theatre in 2022 to wide acclaim, winning four Green Room Awards, and returns for an encore season.
The dark side of Jewish mysticism and spirituality come to the fore in Yentl, a powerful play filled with passion that opened at the Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre on the weekend.
Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s 1962 Yiddish short story titled Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, it was staged by Kadimah Yiddish Theatre in 2022 to wide acclaim, winning four Green Room Awards, and returns for an encore season.
Amy Hack, a seasoned stage and film performer, is the only new member of the cast – joining Evelyn Krape, Nicholas Jaquinot and Genevieve Kingsford – and gives an excellent performance in her dual roles of Yentl and yeshivah student Anshl.
Also giving a standout performance is veteran actress Evelyn Krape as Yeytser Ho’re/The Evil Inclination, playing a narrator who encourages the sexual yearnings and desires of Yentl and Anshl and counselling them to defy Orthodox tradition.
With a raised eyebrow, mischievous grin and cackles, Krape zips around the stage masterfully as a dybbuk, while also playing several other characters.
Yentl is presented in English and Yiddish (with surtitles) utilising simple but effective staging that takes the audience on a journey to a Polish shtetl in 1870.
After Yentl’s father dies, she puts on his clothes, cuts her hair and runs away to another village in order to keep studying the Torah.
She takes on the persona of Anshl and impresses the other students at the yeshivah with her knowledge and intellect, including Avigdor (Jaquinot), who becomes a study partner.
Anshl’s life becomes more complex as her affection towards Avigdor grows. She also becomes involved with Avigdor’s former fiancee, Hodes (Kingsford) while Avigdor is attracted to Anshl in a love triangle.
Directed by Gary Abrahams, who directed Bad Jews, and who teamed up with Elise Hearst and Galit Klas to write the script, Yentl draws on Jewish mysticism, gender roles, love and sexuality to create a powerful piece of theatre.
Yentl is at the Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre until March 17. Bookings: malthousetheatre.com.au
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