Bashevis Singer stories performed

Actress Janet Fishman brought to life three short stories written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Nobel Prize winner, in an 80-minute performance at Hillel Tuesday night. Fishman said she chose to perform "The Shadow of a Crib," "The Spinoza of Market Street" and "Joy" because she was intrigued by the characters and the issues addressed in the works. "The characters fascinated me -- the way they wonder about love and life questions," she said. "I had lived with them a long time before I made them into theater. They were very easy to imagine and the words were very potent." The first tale was about an unmarried countess who falls in love with a widowed doctor. The two get married and remain faithful to each other even after their deaths. The second told the romantic story of an ailing scholar who finds beauty in an ugly market woman. And the third tale described a grieving rabbi's attempt to find happiness after his daughter's death. "That [third] story is the hardest because there is that terrible, terrible grief that is not always strong in me," Fishman explained. "I think I have to be realistic each time I shoot for the grief. When it's not strong, it's not as powerful." Fishman and her husband and technical director McLarence Dickerson, Jr., started the Journey Theater Company, which developed the show. Fishman has also performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and other places in Scotland and England. Many of the more than 30 audience members were impressed with Fishman's ability to play every character by herself. "It was really interesting how she brought all the characters to life, and how she added a new dimension to the story by playing all those roles," College senior Tara Bandman said. Several students said they viewed the performance as a way to incorporate Jewish tradition into a work of art that appeals to a diverse group of people. "It's so nice to see someone combine Judaism and art into something all audiences can appreciate -- not just Jewish audiences," College senior Joan Fishman said. Steinhardt Fellow Davida Finger, who coordinates Jewish cultural events on campus, is also part of the Outreach Program to plan programs that are not just limited to Hillel. She said that Janet Fishman's act is part of Jewish Awareness Month -- a month to celebrate Jewish life. "I think seeing Janet acting is a good way to celebrate Judaism," she said. "I really think it's a different way to look at Jewish identity. "I think the stories she acts out really express a piece of Judaism which everyone can connect with," she added.

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