These notes refer to the 2002 premiere of Moonwatcher. It was rewritten for Chanukah 2003, and was performed with live music by the SF Klezmer Experience, Daniel Hoffman’s virtuostic band at the ZEUM in Yerba Buena Gardens.
The creative team behind ATJT’s 2000 hit, God’s Donkey, is back with a completely new musical-clown-puppet extravaganza.
The legendary town of fools, Chelm, has inspired Jewish writers from Peretz to Isaac Bashevis Singer. Now, ATJT members Aaron Davidman, Corey Fischer and Eric Rhys Miller have re-imagined Chelm as a slightly cracked mirror-image for our none-too-wise times.
The piece will unfold in a theatrical world of giant puppets, masks, and magical objects designed and created by Annie Hallatt, one of the Bay Area’s most accomplished theatrical artificers.
Joan Mankin, a veteran of the Pickles and the Mime Troupe, last seen at ATJT in our award-winning See Under: LOVE, Eric Rhys Miller, ATJT’s newest Associate Artist, Moshe Cohen, internationally acclaimed clown (the New York Times said, “His Indian name would be Dances With Penguins.”), and Téana David, a young, multi-talented performer making her ATJT debut, will populate our Chelm with a host of zany, surprising, and moving characters.
Composer Daniel Hoffman, returns to ATJT after composing and performing original scores for San Diego Rep’s The Mad Dancers, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival’s screening of the silent film classic, Jewish Luck, and many appearances with his two bands, Davka and the San Francisco Klezmer Experience. Daniel will create a song-filled score in his inimitable fusion of klezmer-jazz-middle-eastern-pop-classic styles.
ATJT founder Corey Fischer is excited by the challenge of co-writing and directing a family-oriented musical play. “This is the first time in our 24 years of theatre-making that we’ve moved in this direction. I see this as part of the major transition ATJT is going through. If the theatre is going to outlive its founders, it’s not only going to have to develop new leadership—as we’ve done by appointing Aaron Davidman as our new Artistic Director—but also develop new audiences. For this production, we want audiences—from grade-school to old school—to experience theater that is fun, hip, magical and meaningful.”
Moonwatcher aims to satisfy the theatrical needs of both children and adults as well as giving Jewish families an alternative to usual holiday offerings.
Evening shows at 7PM (Get the kids to bed by 9!) Wednesdays through Sundays and matinees at 2PM on Sundays through December 29.
Co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
