When audiences watch and listen to Chaim Shotsky share the stories of his life, they will instinctively relate to him, says Ari Weisberg, director of Chaim’s Love Song.
Irving Dobbs, centre, stars in Chaim’s Love Song. Joining him are Julie Holdsworth as Kelly and Jack Berke as Oscar. The play runs Feb. 27 to March 9.
“Everybody can identify with this man,” Weisberg says.
“His humour, his wittiness and his friendships will remind people of who they are or someone they know.”
Chaim’s Love Song, produced by Teatron Toronto Jewish Theatre, will be performed at the Leah Posluns Theatre from Feb. 27 to March 9.
A dramatic comedy penned by Marvin Chernoff, the play centres on the experiences of Shotsky, a retired mailman in Brooklyn who, like the famed character Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, speaks to God and philosophizes, all with a twist of humour.
As Shotsky chats in the park recalling various events from his life, the play harkens back to those moments in time with touching vignettes.
“The play is intimate and touching, but it is also funny,” Weisberg says.
“I think what people will take home from it is that after all the challenges and debates Chaim has with the other characters, he still comes back to tradition. The message is that without being grounded by tradition, you will drift away.”
Shotsky is played by Irving Dobbs, who appeared in the movie Rock Garden, which recently won the Global Audience Award for best short film at the Slamdance Film Festival.
Teatron was founded by Weisberg in 2002 with the aim of “unveiling the treasures of Jewish tradition, enriching and inspiring the Jewish experience of all theatergoers, [while] leading to better understanding and harmony.
“We are dedicated to [producing] plays that have major Jewish challenges or history,” says Weisberg, who moved to Canada from Israel in 1976.
“This is what is close to my heart, and I think we have proven there is a demand for these kinds of productions.”
Now in its fifth season, Teatron has put on a diverse array of productions, including This Night, The Chosen, The Sisters Rosensweig and The God of Isaac.
As the Leah Posluns Theatre will soon be undergoing renovations, Teatron performances will be moving to the Toronto Centre for the Arts in 2010.
Weisberg spent 18 years working as a director and producer for local television in Kingston, Ont., before switching over full time to live theatre, his true love.
“There is nothing better to me than live theatre,” says the father of three.
“The live audiences, real actors on stage, and the fact you can really work on a character’s evolution evening after evening is what attracts me to it.”
Following Chaim’s Love Song, Weisberg is looking to bring a play originally performed in Yiddish to the stage, as well as an Israel-themed production to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary.
For information about tickets to Chaim’s Love Song, call 416-781-5527. To learn more about Teatron, visit www.teatrontheatre.com.
