The Dybbuk on Orchard

by Marilyn Schotland

In 1936 New York, mercurial ex-yeshiva boy Val Kaufmann owns a tea shop on Orchard Street. When not telling fortunes to the local Yiddish theater director or fencing stolen goods, he carries on a relationship with Misha Olkhovsky, a grumpy Russian-American P.I. with a past. Their precarious dynamic is put to the test with the simultaneous arrivals of Val's cousin from Nazi Germany and a glamorous starlet fleeing...

In 1936 New York, mercurial ex-yeshiva boy Val Kaufmann owns a tea shop on Orchard Street. When not telling fortunes to the local Yiddish theater director or fencing stolen goods, he carries on a relationship with Misha Olkhovsky, a grumpy Russian-American P.I. with a past. Their precarious dynamic is put to the test with the simultaneous arrivals of Val's cousin from Nazi Germany and a glamorous starlet fleeing scandal in Hollywood. Blending elements of noir, queer history, Shakespeare, and Jewish identity, 'The Dybbuk on Orchard' examines what thieves and lovers get up to in the dark.

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The Dybbuk on Orchard

Recommended by

  • Heather Helinsky: The Dybbuk on Orchard by Marilyn Schotland
    “

    It's always a joy to encounter a play written in a specific genre---in this case 1930s noir---but centering queer characters and history. Playfully flirting with the play-within-a-play form as this Yiddish theatre company produces Twelfth Night, I enjoyed the heartwarming characters as they searched for love and a community space where they could be true to themselves. This is a play where the stakes are high for every character and tension and mischief abound.

    It's always a joy to encounter a play written in a specific genre---in this case 1930s noir---but centering queer characters and history. Playfully flirting with the play-within-a-play form as this Yiddish theatre company produces Twelfth Night, I enjoyed the heartwarming characters as they searched for love and a community space where they could be true to themselves. This is a play where the stakes are high for every character and tension and mischief abound.

    ”
  • Jewish Plays Project: The Dybbuk on Orchard by Marilyn Schotland
    “

    Jewish Plays Project is thrilled that THE DYBBUK ON ORCHARD was a Semi-Finalist for the 10th annual Jewish Plays Contest. Our Semi-Finalists went through a rigorous process in the summer & fall of 2020 where a community of readers searched for plays that spoke to them about Jewish identity in a way that’s bold and challenging, as well as theatrically innovative. After reading 250 plays, THE DYBBUK ON ORCHARD rose to the top 20, and we hope that this play swiftly finds collaborators and opportunities to reach new audiences.

    Jewish Plays Project is thrilled that THE DYBBUK ON ORCHARD was a Semi-Finalist for the 10th annual Jewish Plays Contest. Our Semi-Finalists went through a rigorous process in the summer & fall of 2020 where a community of readers searched for plays that spoke to them about Jewish identity in a way that’s bold and challenging, as well as theatrically innovative. After reading 250 plays, THE DYBBUK ON ORCHARD rose to the top 20, and we hope that this play swiftly finds collaborators and opportunities to reach new audiences.

    ”

Character Information

Please cast a transmasculine or nonbinary actor as Ezra.

The actor playing Vera doubles as the Chanteuse. All other roles may be doubled by the cast as needed.
  • Rachel Moravchik
    The slightly eccentric artistic director of the​ Dybbuk, a Yiddish theater company.
    Mid-50s
    Jewish
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Valentin 'Val' Kaufmann
    A mercurial psychic and tea shop proprietor with a sideline as a ganef. Born in Berlin.
    Early 30s
    Jewish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male,
      Non-binary
  • Mikhail ‘Misha’ Olkhovsky​
    Val’s lover: a grumpy Russian-American private eye with a checkered past. WWI vet; uses a cane.
    Mid-30s
    Russian American
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male,
      Non-binary
  • Theo Howard
    A glamorous starlet masquerading as a femme fatale. Got her start in the Yiddish theater before escaping to Hollywood.
    Early 20s
    Jewish
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Ezra Pardo
    Val’s cousin: a hot-tempered actor and pugilist from Berlin.
    Early 20s
    Jewish
    Genderqueer or non-binary,
    transmasculine
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary
  • Hermann Moravchik​
    Rachel’s philandering and deeply unpleasant husband.
    Mid-50s
    Jewish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Jude Renard
    An Irish grad student in Medieval Art History conducting research in New York. A monocle and tux kind of butch.
    Late 20s
    Irish
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Vera Markova
    A Russian émigré and seductive Hollywood actress. Theo’s ex.
    Late 20s
    Russian
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Nolan Howell
    ​A gruff, no-nonsense officer of the NYPD​ .
    Early 40s
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Production History

  • University, RC Players, 2019

Awards