What I love about this play is that, although set in a world of authoritarian conformity that feels terrifyingly plausible, individual characters are treated with such humanity and compassion. It’s a play that evokes a desire to connect with history and culture - as someone with Jewish descent, it’s the reason I started Yiddish on Duolingo. But it also feels intersectional in its argument for understanding the importance of our history and defending it from homogenizing powers.

A well-written piece about what really could happen! The tension is there from the beginning, and it brings up topics to struggle with: how much do we need to fit in? how much can we fight oppression and discrimination? are we complicit if we go along to get along? Though it centers on Judaism and the right for Jews to exist, it has universal appeal to anyone who worries about marginalized groups, and the often-unwitting or uneducated, both well-meaning and vengeful who group together to persecute them.

A tense, all-too-possible near future play that strikes at the heart of what makes survival "worth it." Laufer's characters feel familiar, which only elevates the audience's investment in their choices. Check out its rolling premiere if you can!