There are plenty of holiday plays, but how many plays are specifically about Passover? For that matter, how many people really know what Passover signifies? Victory Gardens premieres Ali Viterbi’s new play “In Every Generation”, which tells the story of one Jewish American family’s journey from 1940s Europe through the new century.
The play jumps time between various Seder dinners. Director Devon de Mayo makes a wise staging choice with the performance space at Victory Gardens. Including a seating section on stage asks the audience to look at one another, the same as though you were sitting around a Seder table.
While the family isn’t given a last name, we know from the grandmother, Paola’s (Camen Roman), thick Italian accent that this is as much an Italian-American home as it is Jewish. The first act takes place in the present day as the granddaughters argue over the modern elements of Judaism and slowly reveal why their own mother Valeria (Eli Katz) would rather avoid Passover altogether.
The second act probably can’t function without the first, but the play really gets going after the intermission. In the second act, there are three distinct time jumps. The most charming vignette tells the story of Paola and Davide’s first Seder in America, ten years after they survived the Holocaust. Carmen Roman is the heart of this play, and each scene she commands nearly all the attention. This scene in particular is the warmest moment of the play. The action then moves to 2050 and we can only assume by the conversations between now middle aged Yael and Devorah that being Jewish has become dangerous in America. This is a bleak and unpleasant prediction by the playwright, but it’s no question that Jewish institutions are being targeted by hate groups and supremacy organizations. The third vignette takes us back to the inception of Passover, in the desert, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is a nice counter for the somewhat unresolved nihilism of the second vignette.
Playwright Ali Viterbi makes a really interesting choice by blending Italian American heritage with Jewish heritage. The popular assumption is that Italy is a Catholic country, and while the Vatican does sit in Rome, it’s not to say there aren’t Jewish people in all regions of the world. It helps builds empathy. Adopted daughter Devorah is Asian American, this is another interesting aspect of how Viterbi builds empathy. Just because you’re not born Jewish, doesn’t mean you can’t be accepted by the community.
If nothing else, this play asks for understanding. Through understanding we build tolerance. If audiences can see themselves, Jewish or not, in these characters then more can be done to protect the future of Judaism. Viterbi also points out that apathy within a minority group ultimately leads to its demise. “In Every Generation” might just be the definitive Passover play in that it fully contextualizes the history of Passover but it also gets to the point of all holidays, and that’s family and celebration.
Through May 1st at Victory Gardens. 2433 N Lincoln Ave. www.victorygardens.org
