Press Release: Domino Theatre, Village of Idiots by John Lazarus

Village of Idiotsby John LazarusMarch 2-18, 2017

DIRECTED BY GORD LOVE: Rube Goldberg machines are weird and ingeniously complicated ways to make simple things happen. Stories about the village of Chelm are a bit like that. The simple idea of the old stories was that Chelmniks absolutely believed they were blessed with wisdom—that no matter what happened in the short term, their decisions would ultimately turn out to be wise. In fact they called themselves The Village of the Wise. The humour was watching them confidently come up with ludicrous and usually disastrous solutions to simple problems—so ludicrous that Outsiders began to call them the Village of Idiots.

When penny newspapers, like the internet today, created a huge appetite for stories of any kind, authors great and minor all took a shot at writing new Chelm stories and the village population ballooned accordingly. When Jewish readers became particular fans of Chelm stories, the village became Jewish.

Playwright John Lazarus gathered many Chelm stories into one play, which has been entertaining people around the world for over 30 years. Now living in Kingston, he’ll be on hand to add his wisdom and devilish humour to our production at Domino. The problem that John himself added for Chelmniks to solve in their unique way is Cossacks. What do you do about people who just don’t find you funny and are quite ready to kill you? (Spoiler alert: the Chelmniks, in their bumbling but good hearted way, prevail.) John says, “This play is based on very old jokes and folk tales, but in these crazy times it seems, alas, truer than ever. As Miriam says, the Chelmniks may be idiots, but those other ones out there are crazy. However, if you, like Yosef, love a good story, then as Miriam says, you’ve come to the right village.” The cast of 21 is led by Angie Dorey and Damien Schaefer as two Outsiders succumbing to the charms of Chelm. The bumbling but always confident Chelmniks include Michael Chabon, Renee O’Farrell, Cassell Miles, Garrett McCrea, Poul Busk, Naomi Greer Ballance, Elizabeth Taylor and ten others. Gord Love directs, David Row designed the set, Dave Smith will handle lighting, Rachel Vandenberg the costumes, and Leslee Oliver will stage manage. It runs March 2-4th, 9-11, and 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. and it’s the Domino entry into the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival.

. A word from John Lazarus the author: (Jan. 26th, 2017)

Last night I sat in on the first read-through of a new production by Domino Theatre, a local amateur company, of Village of Idiots, my play based on Jewish folklore. A very fine director (Gord Love), & a delightful cast. The play is 32 years old: I started it on my last typewriter & finished it on my 1st computer. It's my most-produced

play: this is its 2nd production just in Kingston. It's been done in Venice (in Italian) & Singapore (this year); as a CBC radio mini-series, a 12-minute NFB cartoon, & a staged reading at New York's famed 92nd Street Y. I can count a dozen different productions that I have seen, if only in rehearsal. It was like going home to visit a dear old friend - or about 20 old friends, with new faces. I laughed again at some very old jokes delivered in new ways, & got a little teary at some serious moments. Then, after the read-through, I gave them a couple dozen rewrites. Cast In Order Of Appearance:

THE CHILD Esme Purdy

ZALMAN Jarrett Hains

ZLATEH Vanessa Delzotto Hammond

MESHOLEM Cassel Miles

YOSEF Damien Schaefer

SCHMENDRICK Garrett McCrae

ZISYAH Dylan Chenier

SOLDIERS &/OR Grant BucklerCHELMNIKS Oscar Cadeau

Mitch Nasheim Phyllis Scully Beth Sirett

RABBI Michael Capon

FEYVEL Poul Busk

FEIGELA Naomi Greer Balance

YOSSEL Ben Hudson

ISKA Hayley Hudson

REBBETSIN Renee O’Farrell

MIRIAM Angie Dorey

GITTEL Elizabeth Taylor

COSSACK OFFICER Mitch Nasheim

BRODSKY Grant Buckler

Start time: 7:30 p.m.(please note this season’s new 7:30 p.m. start time for all

productions)Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights

DOMINO THEATRE 52 CHURCH STREET KINGSTON, ONT. K7M 1H3

Tickets available at: The Grand Theatre box office 613-530-2050Online at: www.kingstongrand.ca

Or at the Domino Theatre door the night of the performance if tickets available (please note: cash only at the door)

Seniors and members $16 at the door Thursdays only.

Adults: $20 Students: $10 Children: $10