Modern Orthodox
Written by Daniel Goldfarb
Directed by James Lapine
In this snappy romantic comedy awash in culture-clash conflicts, Hershel, a young modern Orthodox diamond dealer, invades the lives of a secular Jewish couple, Ben and Hannah. They are provoked to question their commitment to each other and the depth of their religious feeling.
Modern Orthodox
Off-Broadway at New World Stages Stage III (Dodger Stages)
December 06, 2004 - May 8, 2005
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Daniel Goldfarb, Playwright
James Lapine, Director
Ars Nova, Producer
Kara Medoff, Producer
Jewcy, Produced in Association
Underwood Theater, Produced in Association
Amanda Lipitz, Associate Producer
Greg Smith, Associate Producer
Michael Stern, Associate Producer
Marjorie Stern, Associate Producer
Derek McLane, Set Designer
Dona Granata, Costume Designer
David Lander, Lighting Designer
Fitz Patton, Sound Designer
Stuart Thompson Productions, General Manager
James Triner, General Manager
Barlow/Hartman Public Relations, Press Representative
Carol Fineman, Press Representative
Jane Grey, Production Stage Manager
Dan Shaheen, Stage Manager
Kai Brothers, Production Manager
David Caparelliotis, Casting
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Craig Bierko: Ben Jacobson
Jason Biggs: Hershel Klein
Jenn Harris: Rachel Feinberger
Molly Ringwald: Hannah Ziggelstein
Understudies: Sandy Rustin (Hannah/Rachel), Peter Smith (Ben/Hershel)
Replacements: Sarah Chalke (for Hannah), Hunter Foster (for Ben) and John Cariani (for Hershel)
Reviews & Features
“The gags may be parceled out with the mechanical rhythms of a sitcom script, a flaw the skilled director James Lapine smoothly disguises, but they are often sharp and punchy… and the combined gifts of the cast, which is completed by a quirky newcomer, Jenn Harris, as Hershel's instant fiancée, could give buoyancy to a far flimsier concoction.”
"There is something to be said for writing about your own heritage… It gives you license to explore darker areas of your culture with humor. Anthropologically, there is a history of this throughout comedy. Our director, James Lapine, is also Jewish… I don't think it's mandatory that the director be Jewish, but it does help if he has a certain awareness of himself as a Jew. Throughout, the two of us were walking a thin line between being biting and being affectionate. We were very careful not to point at Orthodox Jews and say, 'Look at them.' Instead, we're including ourselves in the 'them.' "