CTG to Present Paula Vogel with Local Leaders in Discussion of “Indecent”

On June 3, Center Theatre Group and Stephen Wise Temple will host “Controversy, Censorship and Klezmer: Jewish Theatre from ‘God of Vengeance’ to ‘Indecent’,” a free panel discussion with Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel, Executive Director of the California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language Miri Koral and Director of the Congress for Jewish Culture Shane Baker about the about the context, issues and ideas surrounding the upcoming production of Vogel’s “Indecent” at the Ahmanson Theatre. The panel will be held at 7 p.m. at Stephen Wise Temple on 15500 Stephen S. Wise Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90077.

In 1907, the Polish Jewish writer Sholem Asch premiered a groundbreaking piece of Yiddish theatre that would be produced around the world, get translated into English, stir hearts, change lives and cause decades of controversy, including landing a troupe of Broadway actors in jail. The story of that play, “God of Vengeance,” is at the heart of the critically acclaimed Broadway hit “Indecent,” which won two Tony Awards and was nominated for Best Play.

Where, how and why did Asch create “God of Vengeance,” and how has it continued to reverberate for over a century? Why did it inspire Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel to create a new work that celebrates klezmer music, the Yiddish language and the power of art? The panel will explore these questions and discuss a century of Jewish theatre, from “God of Vengeance” to “Indecent.”