In taking a closer look at the Aquinas Theatre Department this year, one cannot help but notice a certain morality in the productions. The fall production of The Snow Queen reminded us of the power of love and its ability to triumph over any evil. The blackbox show, a Jewish play, A Shayna Maidel, pulled (and I mean tugged) at our heart strings while depicting the power of friendship and family in getting through even the worst of times. Now, with spring just around the corner, it is time to experience the power of tradition with the well-known, lovably witty musical, Fiddler on the Roof.
The show follows the life of a poor milkman, Tevye, and his family, which consists of his wife and five daughters. They live in the village of Anatevka, a Jewish settlement in Russia, during the early 1900s. This was a time when Jews were heavily persecuted. For example, Russian soldiers would perform pogroms, or demonstrations that resulted in the destruction of Jewish homes and property. Yet, even in the midst of this type of oppression, Anatevka is a proud community, thriving on their traditions and “constant devotion to God”. The particularly interesting thing about Tevye’s life is that he is constantly pushed to break tradition. In the family’s endeavors to marry off his five vivacious daughters, Tevye struggles to decide between tradition, which has kept Jewish culture alive for all these years, and true love. The fun-filled musical both shows us the importance of tradition- and when it is acceptable to break it.
Many theatre departments have attempted Fiddler on the Roof, but none have had as many obstacles to overcome as Aquinas does. AQ’s dedicated cast and crew of well over forty students (including yours truly) have worked tirelessly to ensure that this will be the best school production of the show since our very own alumni performed it. The show opens Thursday March 12 at 7:30pm, with shows on Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Saturday at 2:00pm.
By: Jasmine Benjamin
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