←Recommendations of The Shomer

I was fortunate enough to read and respond to this play at the 2024 Mid-America Theater Conference. This piece captures the complexity of emotions that come with losing an estranged loved one ... the moments when good memories resurface ... and the recurring pain of remembering time lost. David Lipschutz uses language beautifully to underscore the story. Highly recommend.

I was lucky enough to see this piece at the 2024 Mid-America Theatre Conference. This play powerfully explores the complexities of grieving someone you loved, but had a challenging relationship with. It also gently introduces the audience to some facets of Jewish culture that they might not be familiar with. I appreciated how deftly the play swings from emotionally searing to some more light-hearted humor. A great addition to any 10-minute play festival!

Why do we so often wait to make amends until it’s too late? David Lipschutz has written a quietly moving play about the regret of estrangement, the grief of not only lost life but lost relationship, and the family bonds that transcend it all.

Lipschutz captures universal human foibles through the specific lens of Orthodox Jewish tradition. The symmetry of the titular SHOMER’s story is beautiful and profound: religion came between his brother, and in the end, religion becomes his means to say a much needed goodbye (even if he’s out of practice). Touching and smart.

I have learned over my lifetime that certain traditions, be they family stories or those of our faith and practice, have a deeper meaning than just following a ritual. Their origins may have been lost in the mists of time to the point that we cannot see the practical point, but now they offer a connection and a time of reflection. This short play follows a young man serving as the guardian of the soul of a deceased Jewish man, and the time he spends alone with him is revealing, comforting, and deeply touching. Thank you, David Lipschutz.

I love this short play. It's hard to write plays about death and grief without them feeling overwrought, but this piece is perfect. Little details get dropped all along the way which pay off emotionally in the end. I saw this performed with Playground-Chicago over Zoom, and I would love to see it again live and get to feel the audience reacting to it. It packs a big punch in only ten minutes.