←Recommendations of Ghost of Shabbos Past

Sometimes in life we need a reminder of what truly matters, even from those who are dead but never forgotten. In GHOST OF SHABBOS PAST we're treated to such a funny and tender play between a Jewish man and the ghost of his grandfather, where faith and grief lead to transformation and healing. Plus I absolutely love how Sam centers queer joy around spirituality in a way that makes this play truly shine.

Benjamin's struggles with guilt, faith, and identity are ultimately alleviated by a very special Shabbos ghost. This short play is brimming with humor and wisdom. It is a pleasure to share the journey with these two distinct and engaging characters.

Dickens Schmickens! Christmas isn't the only holiday where spirits show up and lecture us! There's also Shabbos, or "the Sabbath", that only comes around every Friday night. It's a day of rest, contemplation, and discussion. What better time for a ghost to find you home and chatty! This is a grand visit from a buoyant grandpa to his uptight boychik Benjamin. Not a lot of time travel here but so what? The lessons passed on should be learned at home in the now. [1/27/25]

There are lots of hearty laughs to be found in this script—which is impressive since it's ostensibly a play about how we manage grief when we lack a traditional relationship to faith, including grief about our imagined future (and the future our loved ones may have imagined for us). Something about this play is cozy as, despite the presence of an interloping ghost, we're given the distinct impression that Benjamin is perfectly safe... perhaps safer than he realized. This is a sweet heartwarmer!

Sam Heyman has gifted us with this sweet inter generational and other worldly conversation. Examining faith, expectations, and acceptance with gentle humor, Ben and his Zayde spend a Shabbos for the ages. Enjoy!

A lovely meditation on the ways ritual can connect us to our pasts, both personal and ancestral. The comfort of this play evokes the shabbos blessing for children: a gentle hand on your head, and the love, protection and acceptance of your elders.

01/16/2025. GHOST OF SHABBOS PAST is a moving and funny and heartwarming play about a Jewish man and his ghost Zayde. You'll feel a spectrum of emotion reading/watching this one. "You think I've got a Christmas Ghost budget?" had me cackling. Beautiful work by Sam Heyman.

Ghosts get a bad rap. They're literally the bogeymen/women of horror stories and Halloween, but when you think about them as individuals, they are memories of loved ones, and their spirits are literally alive within us. In this loving and often humorous tale of Benjamin and his recollections of the past, he learns much about himself and the loved one who teaches him. The message here seems to be that ghosts are always with us, and they're welcome to share a shabbat.

A wonderful piece here. Funny in the right places, touching in others. Besides being a nifty twist on the "Christmas Carol" trope, it's also actually a pretty great exploration of "faith" in general and what it can mean in different circumstances. I loved all the little twists that Heyman was able to put in the piece. It moves very well, and I could absolutely hear the "voices" of the characters as I was reading. This is going to make an excellent addition to any festival that chooses it.