Faith, Politics and Family Explored in PA World Premiere, House, Divided
By Kenneth Jones
14 May 2008
InterAct Theatre Company will unveil the world premiere of Philadelphia playwright Larry Loebell's House, Divided, about a rift between two Jewish brothers, May 23.
Producing artistic director Seth Rozin stages the play, which was commissioned through a grant from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.
Performances play to June 22. Opening is May 28 in Philly.
House, Divided "is the story of two brothers and their two grown sons, who find their family divided between Philadelphia and Israel by their faith, but still undeniably united by blood," according to InterAct. "The Goldstein family of Philadelphia is torn apart when older brother Louis decides to embrace Jewish orthodoxy and move to Israel during the height of the Vietnam war. …Over 20 years later…the two brothers are forced to re-engage one another when their sons, Oren and Paul, make surprising life decisions of their own."
The cast includes David Howey as Lou Goldstein, Paul Meshejian as Doug Goldstein, Dan Hodge as Paul Goldstein, Davy Raphaely as Oren Goldstein, Noah Herman as Young Doug Goldstein and Robert T. DaPonte as Young Lou Goldstein.
The design team includes set designer Dirk Durossett, costume designer Susan Smythe, lighting designer Peter Whinnery and sound designer Shannon Zura. Michele Traub is stage manager.
Loebell is the recipient of a 2006 New Play Commissions in Jewish Theater from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture for House, Divided, and a four-time recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting. His full-length plays include La Tempestad, which premiered in New York City in 2005 and was anthologized in "Playing With Canons: Explosive New Works from Literature by America's Indie Playwrights," The Ballade of John Wesley Reed, Girl Science, Memorial Day and Pride of the Lion.
All performances are held on the Mainstage of The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street in Philadelphia, PA. For reservations or more information, call (215) 568-8079 or visit www.InterActTheatre.org.
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On the weekend of June 7-8, in conjunction with the mainstage production of House, Divided, InterAct will present an Israeli/Palestinian Play Festival. The festival will feature concert readings of four new and contemporary plays that examine the western perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as well as a panel discussion examining varying viewpoints on the subject.
Founded in 1988, InterAct "is a theatre for today's world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. InterAct's aim is to educate, as well as entertain, its audiences, by producing world-class, thought-provoking productions, and by using theatre as a tool to foster positive social change. Through its artistic and educational programs, InterAct seeks to make a significant contribution to the cultural life of Philadelphia and to the American theatre."
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