←Recommendations of TAMAR, The Two-Gated City

This is a theatrical investigation of the story of rape culture written into the foundation of two religions, and yet rarely called into question. Emma breathes three-dimensional life into characters in search of justice: the young questioner, the ghost, and the one who remained silent. This play uses heightened language, musicality, Socratic dialogue, and a gripping ghost story to drive a clear, concise point home: society will always be haunted by patriarchal control over women's bodies and this well-woven braid of a play provides an opportunity for audiences to find contemporary parallels within the ancient narrative.

A conversation about the Bible has the potential to be difficult. A conversation about rape has equal potential to be difficult. However, Goldman-Sherman tackles these difficult but very relevant subjects in this eye-opening story with poetry and power told through the voices of women that actresses would love to sink their teeth into. Also, it's in verse!

The Jewish Plays Project recommends TAMAR, The Two-Gated City as a Semi-Finalist for the 11th annual Jewish Playwriting Contest. Our community of readers found this play highly compelling as it critiques a history that has marginalized and brutalized women, and examines the impact of not speaking out, in a manner that feels new and relevant. We enjoyed the poetic vision, the tension between perspectives, and the deep questioning of stories that we take at face value. TAMAR rose to the top 20 out of 250 plays and we hope this play swiftly finds opportunities to reach new audiences.

"Stand up tall. You will stand for us all, past and future". With this line, Emma Goldman Sherman astonishingly manages to connect the books of the bible to the #me-too era. Overtly provocative and extremely bold, this script creates a juxtaposition of 2 subjects guaranteed to force hard conversations: Rape, and the bible. Terse dialogue plays along side poetic monologues that could almost serve as short plays of their own. Emma accomplishes the nearly impossible task of taking biblical fables and making them personal and immediate. By the end of this play, no sacred cows are spared. Bravo!

It's astonishing how we have been raised to deliberately turn a blind eye to so many horrors in not impede an agenda. Often we may be dissuaded from asking too many questions, a cover-up if you will. Witty and quick, we delve into the #MeToo stories in the Bible that have somehow been turned into romantic tales. Unapologetic in the quest for truth and justice, the time has come for women to be heard and for them to create a new house. Magnificent and ground-breaking piece of theatre!

A brilliant play about the mistreatment of women in Biblical times and the further mistreatment by how their stories have been told or not told. It's a play about the desire of the young to know their history and the desire of the old to forget and how they have so much to learn from each other. The kind of story that is needed in the time of #MeToo and especially #ChurchToo.

Beautifully written. Wonderful to see the cleverness of the young, curious woman and how she gently leads the older woman to question everything she thought she knew. The ferociousness with which the elder Tamar seeks to be known and remembered is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Learning to see history from the non-dominant point of view is so important, and Goldman-Sherman crafts the story with style and wit.