''Yentl'' is a play by Leah Napolin and

Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer (; 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Poland, Polish-born Jews, Jewish novelist, short-story writer, memoirist, essayist, and translator in the United States. Some of his works were adapted for the theater. He wrote and publish ...

. Based on Singer's short story "Yentl the

Yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

Boy" published in 1962, it centers on a young woman who defies tradition by discussing and debating

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

law and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

with her

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

father. When he dies, she cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and sets out to find a

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

where she can continue to study

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

and live secretly as a male named Anshel. When her study partner Avigdor discovers the truth, she is conflicted about pursuing a relationship with him because it will compromise her higher calling. The play focuses on the spiritual equality of women in a segregated Jewish society that does not see women as equals to men, but at the same time prioritizes religion and relationship to God above all else. More generally, the play's conflict is between one's need for self-actualization and the demands of society as well as one's baser desires.

Production

''Yentl'' premiered at the

Chelsea Theater Center The Chelsea Theater Center was a not-for-profit theater company founded in 1965 by Robert Kalfin, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. It opened its doors in a church in the Chelsea district of Manhattan, then moved to the Brooklyn Academy ...

in 1974 in a production directed by Robert Kalfin. An edited version of the production premiered on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

at the

Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. The theater was designed by Her ...

on October 15, 1975, played eleven previews, opened on October 23, 1975, and ran for 223 performances, concluding on May 2, 1976. It was directed by Robert Kalfin. The cast included

Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for fifty years, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations for ''Holoca ...

John Shea John Victor Shea III ( ; born April 14, 1949) is an American actor, film producer, and stage director. His career began on Broadway where he starred in '' Yentl,'' subsequently winning his first major award, the 1975 Theatre World Award. Shortl ...

, and Lynn Ann Leveridge. It was produced by

Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City a ...

, Moe Septee, and associate producer Paul B. Berkowsky. Scenic design was by Karl Eigsti, with costumes designed by Carrie F. Robbins, lighting designed by William Mintzer, hair design by Patrick Moreton. The general manager was Paul B. Berkowsky, the company manager was Gino Giglio, the production stage manager was Clint Jakeman, the stage manager was Richard Manheim, and the general press representative was Betty Lee Hunt.

Cast

Hy Anzell Hy Anzell (September 7, 1923 – August 23, 2003) was a Yiddish-speaking American actor. He originated the role of the flower shop owner, "Mr. Mushnik", in the original off-Broadway production of ''Little Shop of Horrors'' with Ellen Green ...

– Mordecai / Feitl * Herman O. Arbeit – Treitl / Reb Alter * Mary Ellen Ashley – Rivka / Necheleh / Chambermaid *

Robin Bartlett Robin Bartlett is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in two NBC sitcoms ''The Powers That Be'' and '' Mad About You''. Career She appeared in the short-lived series ''The Powers That Be''. She played the sister of a filmmaker ...

– Raizeleh / Avram * Stephen dePietri – Shmuel / Zisheh / Dr. Chanina / Musician * Blanche Dee – Pesheh * David Eric – Moishe / Gershon / Musician *

– Yentl * Elaine Grollman – Ziateh * Rita Karin – Yachna * Lynn Ann Leveridge – Hadass * Leland Moss – Lemmel / Yussel / Wedding Jester / Dr. Solomon / Mohel / Musician * Albert M Ottenheimer – Nehemiah / The Rabbi / Sheftel * Bernie Passeltiner – Reb Todrus / Laibish / The Cantor / Messenger / Musician * Natalie Priest – Frumka * Reuben Schafer – Reb Nata / The Shamus / Zelig * Madeline Shaw – Zelda-Leah / Shimmel * John V. Shea – Avigdor * Michael James Strafford – Dovid / Yitzhok / Musician * Diane Tarleton – Finki / Berel

Screen adaptation

As early as 1968,

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

had expressed interest in a film adaptation of Singer's short story. Using the Napolin/Singer play as her source material, she wrote a detailed forty-two page treatment, the first to conceive of the movie version as a musical. The resulting 1983 production veered dramatically from the original short story and play by allowing Yentl to reveal her true feelings for Avigdor and having her return to her female self and sail for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the end. The film received a scathing review from Singer, who was particularly taken aback by Streisand's monopolization of the production to its detriment: The film was well received by others, however, including reviewers at ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' and ''

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''. Box office receipts were also healthy, both domestically and internationally, and the film was ranked 19th in the year's moneymakers. At awards time, Streisand was snubbed at the Oscars, but the film itself received four nominations, notably winning for Best Original Music Score. ''Yentl'' won two

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

s for

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...

and Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).

Awards and nominations

References

Bibliography

* Napoleon, Davi. '' Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater''. Includes a chapter on ''Yentl'', the story, the play, and the movie. The dramatic chapter goes into detail about several controversies between strong individuals—Isaac B Singer and Kalfin, Kalfin and Feldshuh, Singer and Streisand, and Kalfin and Streisand. It also includes descriptions of the play and movie. Iowa State University Press. , 1991.

External links

* * *
Yentl - 15 Years

{{Isaac Bashevis Singer 1975 plays Broadway plays Jewish American plays LGBTQ-related plays Yiddish words and phrases Plays based on short fiction American plays adapted into films Plays set in Poland Fiction set in 1873 Works by Isaac Bashevis Singer Fictional Jews Fictional cross-dressers Cross-dressing in literature