Silk Road Theatre Project

By Carol J. Blanchard, costume designer

Designing the costumes for Pangs of the Messiah is a definite challenge.  Right from the start it was obvious that the show called for naturalism in the costumes, and that means that clothing is worn, not costumes.   So I knew from the start that I would be purchasing 98% of everything that is worn onstage.   Only a few pieces for select characters need to be “newer” looking too.  So most everyone’s clothing needs to be broken in. washed and worn for months, or years. and that always means lots of work.

To get distressed clothing, I can’t shop on the internet or in my favorite stores.  I have to go to shops that specialize in used clothing.  Shopping the Goodwill, Salvation Army, Unique Thrift and Village Discount takes a different frame of mind.   I have to gather my renderings, make lists of every piece worn by every character, copy measurements and sizes onto shopping lists, and grab lots of cash.   Then I start out on what I refer to as “my search and destroy” mission.

I go from shop to shop, making purchases and constantly hoping that every shop I go to will be the last one.  If you’ve never been shopping this way, I would urge you to try it once.  You are looking through racks and racks for just the right cut, the right color, the right texture….and when you find just that, you pray that it is also the right size.   The whole process is like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Some stores are better for men’s wear, some stores are great for shoes and accessories….each has their better sections.   And you learn by experience where you want to try first.  The Village Thrift on Roscoe is one of the best.  They have a large shoe selection downstairs.  It’s possible to find just about anything you need.  They have a great men’s jeans and trousers section…very organized….all by color, so it’s easy to go to just what you are looking for.  They have tons of ladies dresses and blouses, as well as winter coats.  And fabulous prices all the time.  I once bought a beautifully tailored cashmere men’s topcoat, brand new with the tags still on, for $15.00!   And the tag from Harrods (yes the London store) read 213 pounds.  What a deal!!!  Salvation Army on Clybourn is great for men’s suits and dress shirts.  Several racks of shirts usually mean you can find the color, pattern and size.  They have a great dress section too…as well as sleeping robes and lingerie.  Unique Thrift on Elston is rather exclusive….wide aisles, very neat and arranged by color…..easy to find things.  But more expensive than the rest of the stores.  You are paying for the luxury of neat racks and aisles you can move around in.

And so I have been steadily scouring the thrift stores, returning week after week since their stock changes on a daily basis, and piece by piece finding just the right clothing for the show.

Another unusual task required by this show was the purchasing of Jewish religious articles.  Learning about Teffilin, kippahs, and Talitot was extremely interesting and an education unto its own.  But finding where one could buy them, while staying on a budget was daunting.  There are many vendors here in the states, even some in Chicago.  But finding those pieces in just the right design….and for the right price took me to Israel.  My research found several dealers which offered teffilin replacement pieces, new boxes, new straps…which were very inexpensive.  I decided to go with these.   I found the hand knitted and crocheted kippahs….beautiful and inexpensive too.  I came across wonderful tallit katans complete with tzitzit, and again inexpensive.   And so have put through two orders to Israel and have been pleasantly surprised with the beautiful products they have sent.

With every show there are new challenges, new products to be found, and new information to be learned.  I am in love with my career as a costume designer for many reasons, but mostly because I learn something new with every production.

By Rebecca A. Barrett, Lighting Designer

Today I am drafting the light plot. Some people prefer to draft on the computer, I prefer to draft by hand – at least for the rough plot. There’s something satisfying about the feel of the pencil on paper that resonates with me, awakening images and drawing me to the settlements of Israel. So, as I am gazing out of my window at the city skyline in this predawn light I am also in Samaria, golden motes of sunlight spilling onto the dining room table of the Berger family. Their world is so drastically different from mine, with its guns and bombings and yet so heartbreakingly the same. My heart aches for those people.

There are some images that have been inspirational to the lighting design of Pangs. These images by other talented artists and photographers have helped draw me into the world of this play.

The first images represent where this play begins: a Mediterranean homestead, the Israeli Promised Land.

As the play progresses, we will be using flashlights and other moving light sources to underscore the growing tension and unease. In so much of the video research I have seen, there is someone caught in a spotlight and in the background, truck headlights scan the streets and flashlights illuminate the dark with their narrow beams.

Throughout the play we will highlight these characters in their everyday lives as they struggle to cling to the land they love and protect each other from harm.

And in the last scene…

Well, I don’t want to give away the end. You’ll just have to come see for yourself. Anyways, I should get back to drafting…

Check out playwright Motti Lerner’s interview about PANGS OF THE MESSIAH on Chicago Public Radio.  Actors Bernie Beck and Susan Adler are featured as well.  

http://audio.wbez.org/wv/2009/02/wv_20090220a.mp3

For those of you feeling that you need more information to fully understand Pangs of the Messiah, please consult this glossary, prepared by dramaturg Kefah Crowley.  Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, but a sampling of some terms you will hear during the show.

Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock- a mosque and a shrine respectively, considered the 3^rd holiest site in the Islamic world, from where the Prophet Mohamed is believed to have ascended to heaven. Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock are located in Jerusalem’s Old City, on the site revered by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Goy- The Hebrew term for a Gentile or a non-Jew.

Headscarves- Married Orthodox women are required to cover their heads. Many married Orthodox women wear headscarves, some wear wigs.

Jewish Diaspora- The communities of Jews outside the historic Land of Israel, traditionally associated with the expulsion and dispersal of Jews to other countries following the destruction of the First and Second Temples.   

Kibbutz – a communal, typically rural Jewish settlement in Israel associated with strong socialist, egalitarian, and Zionist principles.

Knesset – (Hebrew word for “assembly”), the Knesset is the Israeli parliament

Mukhtar - (Arabic word for “chosen”), refers to the head of an Arab town or village selected by means of consensus.

Pangs of the Messiah- In Hebrew, “Chevlai shel Mashiach,” or “birth pains,” refers to the future in which there will be seven years of tribulation that lead to the coming of the Messiah. This era will be known as Chevlai shel Mashiach.

Shomron – (Hebrew word for “Samaria”) - Biblical term used to describe the territory known as the northern West Bank.

Talit – a Jewish prayer shawl worn while reciting morning prayers.  It is also worn for Sabbath prayers in the synagogue and on holidays.

Tefillin – also called phylacteries, a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with bible verses.

Temple Mount- The Torah records that it was at this site in Jerusalem that God chose to rest his Divine Presence.  The two great Jewish Temples, built by King David and King Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians and the Romans respectively, were built on this site. According to Jewish tradition when the Messiah comes, he will bring with him the third and final Temple, which will rest on the Temple Mount.

Yesha Council- Yesha is the Hebrew acronym for Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yehuda, Shomron, Aza), also referred to as “the territories.” The Yesha Council was founded in the late 1970s as the successor to Gush Emunim, the organization that led the settling of Jews in the territories captured in the Six-Day War of June 1967. The goal of the Yesha Council is to strengthen and increase the Jewish presence in the occupied territories by continuing to build settlements.

Zionism- A return to Zion (Jerusalem). Zionism is a political and religious movement that seeks the return of Jews to their biblical (historical) homeland in Palestine. Old Zionism was premised on the belief that the Messiah would lead Jews back to their home. New Zionism (19^th century Zionism) shifted the responsibility for the return from the Messiah to the Jewish people themselves.

by Kurt Sharp, set designer

I burst into tears at the first read through of ‘Pangs of the Messiah’ the other night. I think the reason was that hearing the actors honestly and simply put forth the arguments of the play made me very angry, the way that a great tragedy can.  I remember seeing a production of Romeo and Juliet once and feeling a sense of dread at what I could tell was going to happen and sadness at the waste of it all.  But instead of merely ending a feud between families in Renaissance Italy, the events of ‘Pangs’ could happen in Israel tomorrow and directly affect us here in Chicago, with results that are terrifying.

At the reading I presented the model of the setting. There is much that is specific to this play about the West Bank settlements, so visual research provided a language of textures and materials that would reinforce our sense of place. Silk Road’s performance space is intimate and its rafters suggest the exposed construction of a great room ceiling. This particular living room is not only a rabbi’s home, but also a command center for a political and religious movement. Its’ jumble of worn furniture reflects this family’s changing goals and sacrifices. It seems a little chaotic at this time of crisis. Set in the near future, the show utilizes projections and voiceovers during scene transitions to emphasize the constant exposure to violent struggle, and the escalation of political and religious tensions.

It was wonderful to meet the playwright and hear him speak about the play. Motti Lerner has a character in ‘Pangs’ express concern that the school children in the settlement may be being traumatized by their use as a roadblock to stop soldiers– that saving the settlement by such means might sacrifice the sanity of the people who will inherit it.  It hit me during the read-through that idea drives the whole play. Each of the family members we meet is already damaged in some way. And what about the grandchildren we never meet?  If they have lost their humanity, what will it matter if the Messiah comes?

The set model

On Sunday playwright  Motti Lerner landed at O’Hare airport after 8  hours of flights and layovers from Tel Aviv.  His itinerary for the week he’ll be spending as our guest in Chicago is packed!  There are appearances on WTTW’s “Arts Across Illinois” and Chicago Public Radio’s “Worldview,” he’ll speak with JUF News and Chicago Jewish News, and even appear on an episode of Silk Road’s own CAN-TV series “Silk Road Sojourns.”  But it’s not all about work for our celebrity.  He mentioned to me over cups of Starbucks the other morning that he also hopes to visit a friend who lives in Naperville that he hasn’t seen in 40 years!

The following pictures are from first rehearsal of Mr. Lerner’s play Pangs of the Messiah, which will preview starting March 19 and open March 28.  The shots are paired with quotes from the Meet the Playwright event that was held at the Silk Road office on Tuesday February 3.

David Chack and Motti Lerner

About the topic of the play:

“The set designer (Kurt Sharp)… said last night that a good play is about the worst day in a person’s life.”

“What is the most dangerous political phenomenon that is taking place in Israel?  And this (question) was in 1985…”

About Messianic beliefs:

“It (the play) was not written from hatred.  It was written from fear.”

I think it is very evident in the play that I respect those people very much, but I oppose them totally.”

“This is a messianic movement.  They think there is a possibility to change God’s plans – to accelerate the coming of the messiah.”

“If you believe you can accelerate the coming of the messiah that’s fine, but don’t impose those ideas on the state… we have to negotiate with people, not angels.

Jamil Khoury and Jennifer Green

About being a writer:

“I do not write about remembering events.  I do not write about contemplating events.  I write about events that are present.”

Mr. Lerner described rehearsal of new plays in Israel as being an 8-week process.  “We all agree that the first four weeks we do changes,” he said.

“You can’t write a play if you judge the characters… be very intimate, feel them, love them… to feel that you are in their shoes.  On the other hand, you have to write from critisism… look at them from a distance and know who they are.”