The Jewish Pigeonhole

A new Jewish play called The Retributionists, by Daniel Goldfarb, opens tomorrow. I mention the play in particular because The New York Times had a fascinating article about the play a few weeks ago, called At Ease in His Own Pigeonhole.

In it, Goldfarb talks about the difficulty of being a modern playwright labeled specifically as a Jewish playwright. According to the article, the younger generation (my generation, in fact) of Jews is no longer comfortable with seeing themselves onstage. Jewish culture is no longer a draw for young Jews.

During the Jewish theater conference, I noticed that some of our speakers (among them Israel Horovitz and Donald Margulies) clearly were uncomfortable with classifying themselves as Jewish playwrights. They, too, seemed worried about being pigeonholed, about being assigned to a genre which they could not escape.

Oddly, the playwright most comfortable with the association was Itamar Moses, another in the younger generation of playwrights. Although he did not write specifically Jewish plays, his closing speech embraced the idea that his plays are shaped by Jewish ideas.

I struggle with this question personally, as well. Many of my plays have Jewish themes, though some do not. But do I embrace the genre, if it is a genre? The problem with genres is that, to the uninitiated, they are defined by stereotype. Jewish theater is defined by Fiddler on the Roof or plays about the Holocaust, and anyone writing another sort of drama might well wish to step away.

In some ways, it reminds me of the dilemma that Vonnegut writes about regarding the science fiction genre. Vonnegut resisted being termed a science fiction author. As he said: "I have been a soreheaded occupant of a file drawer labeled 'science fiction'... and I would like out, particularly since so many serious critics regularly mistake the drawer for a urinal."

Personally, I felt in many ways my play Doctors Jane and Alexander would have been more reviewed had it NOT been included in my Festival of Jewish Theater and Ideas. After all, it was about a Jewish family (my own), but in its themes it could have applied to anyone.

And yet...I stubbornly call my science fiction work science fiction and proudly identify as a Jewish writer. There is a pride in being connected to great works from the past, even as I wince when being connected to work I am less fond of. And truth to tell, much of my work is Jewish. Why play games with wording? I resent the need, if there is a need. My ideas are often based on Jewish ideas. My experiences are the experiences of an American Jew. So my work is Jewish and it is American. Doctors Jane and Alexander is even more than that. It is a science play, it is a documentary play, it is a found text play, it is a family drama, it is a comedy, it is a play with music, it is an autobiography. Why reject any of it? Each is a genre of sorts and each informs the play.

And each is a pigeonhole that limits me some audience member or critic that says - you know, I just don't like that sort of play. And each is a doorway to a fan of the genre. So does it help me or hurt?

I don't know. It is.

Edward Einhorn

On being a playwright at his 6th AJT conference

By Rich Orloff

During the playwrights’ lunch at this year’s AJT conference, one of the playwrights said to the group, “Let’s be honest. The main reason we’re here is to sell our plays.” It was a brave comment, as artists aren’t supposed to admit such things in public. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, at least for me, the comment wasn’t true.

Don’t get me wrong: I’d like every Jewish theater in the world to produce my Jewish-themed plays, and I wouldn’t complain if they decided to also produce my non-Jewish-themed plays as well as my e-mail messages and my shopping list. I’m delighted that several AJT theaters have decided to produce my comedy OY! over the last few years, which I doubt would have happened if I hadn’t become an AJT member.

However, the main reason I continue to attend the AJT conferences is simply that I’ve gained enormous affection and appreciation for its members. Playwrights don’t often get to hang out with artistic directors; they and we have different agendas. Because of the AJT conferences, I’ve gotten to know several artistic directors not only as people with the power to produce my plays, but also simply as people.

My favorite event at each year’s conference is when the artistic directors sit in a circle and talk about their previous and upcoming seasons. I’ve not only learn their tastes, but I’ve also learned the myriad of factors which influence their decisions: the size and composition of their audiences, the pressures from their boards, their financial concerns, and their limited resources.

It’s not just an intellectual education, either. One can hear in their voices the pleasures of their artistic triumphs and their frustrations at the gap between their dreams and the realities. Given all their pressures, I’ve grown to appreciate whenever an AJT theater produces a play by “Rich Who?”

For the last three conferences, I’ve moderated the Playwrights Forum. I’ve had a chance to listen to excerpts from almost fifty Jewish-themed plays: about Israel, the Holocaust, our heritage and contemporary concerns. I’ve been entertained, engaged and moved. I’ve also been bored, lectured to, yelled at, and confused. Each forum has given me a greater sense of what I want to accomplish as a playwright and how best I can serve our community.

Because this year’s conference was in New York, an unprecedented number of playwrights gave talks or appeared on panels. I got a peek inside the minds of Murray Schisgal, Israel Horowitz, Donald Margulies, Jeffrey Sweet, Itamar Moses and Rachel Shukert. (That’s over 150 years of playwriting experience.) Informal conversations with other AJT playwright members gave me a greater sense of what made them tick and provided opportunities to both kvell about our accomplishments and kvetch about our frustrations. (Okay, so we kvetched more than we kvelled. It goes with being a playwright.)

The education I’ve received as an AJT playwright member has served me not only in marketing my plays to Jewish theaters but also in how I deal with artistic directors and theaters of all kinds. Also, I think the organization is simply haimish. I’m already looking forward to what I’ll learn and what fun I’ll have at the next conference.

I’ll also bring along a few copies of my plays, just in case someone’s interested.