Lex's 'Fiddler On The Roof" finished it’s run at Highland mid November. I just don't know if it’s because of where I’m at in my life, but it was an emotional roller coaster for me. It’s hard to pick my favorite musical number, but I do know that it was CHAMPION amazing. I loved the 'Sabbath Prayer' song and felt Tevyye's sincere plea. I laughed until I cried at Model's 'Miracle Of Miracles' number. I was able to go see it three times and each time it blew me away. Lex wrote this in her program, "There is so much to say about this show, what it means to me, my experiences with it on stage in the past, my experiences this year, the characters, the actors, my own life- how on earth could I pack it it all in here?!
One afternoon, the beautiful Karen Anson and I were talking across the open window of her car when she said, "It's not just a Jewish story, it's a human story." These words have resonated in my head for 2 months now, bouncing around, lighting up parts of my brain as they ricocheted from one memory to the next.I find parts of myself in Tevye, conversing, joking and even yelling at a God he believes in and trusts with his whole heart; I watch myself running like Golde from one child to the next, always in a hurry, trying to make things better for her family; I see the hope and happiness and even naievete for a lfe wished for in each of Tevye's daughters; I see a world ripped apart by injustice, fears or blindness, still to this day hurting others because we think that we are better, smarter, stronger; I cling to my own people and the comfort of my own homejust like the members of Anatevka. And so here we all are,"Trying to sctratch out a pleaant, simple tune without breaking his neck" every day of our lives.
This semester the cast has devled into the beautiful story of Joseph Stein, the culture and traditions of the Jewish people, and the history of 1905 Russia, attempting to"play truly"(As Stanislavsky writes) so as to honor the messages presented here. I hope the students, and the audience, walk away from their experience here remembering that each of us are imperfect and each of us are flawed, but each of us hopes and dreams and works day in and day out for something better.In short, each of us is human and this is our story."
As the one funny experience with the show after seeing it for the first time, our Maxwell didn’t want to come see it with me again because he said it was to, "sexist." I’m just curious about what "suexist" means to a fifth grader? I didn’t know that a fifth grader had thoughts like that. I love how Lex explained to our Max about his concerns. She first told him of the setting of 'Fiddler.' In Russia in the earl 1900's this was a reality. Next she asked him how the characters, mainly Tevye change and learn that they are wrong. Finally she asked him if our own situation is like what we're taugh in The Family Proclimation, with me being the primary care giver and her providing for us? He thought about it and said no. Lex's follow up question was, "Since our situation isn't 'traditional' were we bad?
I almost forgot about Lex’s ending. At first, I was so mad that I didn’t get to applause her leads. She ended the musical abruptly, with only one curtain call for the entire cast. She came to talk with her sister about her thoughts on the show and asked excitedly, what she thought about her ending. I’d already voiced my frustration, so our Abbers blurted out, “ dad hated it!” As I though about it, I realized that was the point; I’m not suppose to enjoy the ending and the injustice of what’s happening. The point was, for me, driven home in very poingent way. Kuddos to you, Lex.
