Book of Esther by Gina Stevensen

Within the confines of an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, a new generation of women is pushing the boundaries. Esther grew up in a loving and religious household, but she is seventeen now and can feel a larger world outside her own. Will her questioning take her too far to come home?
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Book of Esther

Recommended by

  • Maizy Broderick Scarpa:
    8 Jun. 2022
    “ A thoughtful, insightful coming-of-age story that is both culturally-specific and universally relatable! ”
  • Andy Boyd:
    29 Apr. 2022
    “ I had the privilege of watching this play grow from a seed of an idea into the wonderful creation it is today. Gina has created an incredibly human and honest portrait of a community that is both next-door in Brooklyn and a cultural world apart. Her gift for dialogue will be evident to anyone who reads it but her real superpower is empathy. ”
  • Elyssa Nicole Trust:
    23 Nov. 2019
    “ Book of Esther is such a wonderful, enjoyable and thought-provoking play. Esther's journey is enticing and empowering, and it's exciting to watch her question the world around her. The playwright embeds tons of information about Judaism organically throughout the play and creates an engaging world full of dynamic, complicated characters. We read this for my theatre company's monthly reading series and we all enjoyed it and had such a thoughtful discussion after! ”

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Hartford Stage
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    Columbia University, NYC
    ,
    2016
  • Workshop
    ,
    KNOW Theater, Binghamton, NY
    ,
    2016

Production History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Joust Theatre Company
    ,
    2017

Awards

Winner
,
Kernodle New Play Award
,
2021
Finalist
,
International Playwriting Award
,
Theatre503
,
2020
Third Place, Jewish Playwriting Contest
,
Jewish Plays Project
,
2017
Semi-Finalist
,
Playwriting Award
,
Princess Grace
,
2016