'The Chosen' an emotionally moving play

Chaim Potok’s novel "The Chosen” was a surprise, runaway bestseller that inspired other novels by him, as wall as, a sequel to the original.

The settings are the very religious Jewish communities in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. The plot operates at two levels. One is the classic story of fathers wishing to shape the destiny and future of their children’s lives and at the other level a classic division in the hopes of a future for a religion of divided loyalties.

There is an underlying history that helps to understand the second level. The religion practices of Jewish families who dwelt in the Eastern European nations in the 18th century hit a great divide. There developed a movement called Hasidism that was challenging the Orthodox by feeling that Jewish life had become too "academic.” So they promoted spirituality and joy as the fundamental aspect of the faith, rather than the intense Talmudic study since the Exodus, dominated by the famous rabbis (teachers) of Europe.

The antagonism had become so intense, the Hasidim were eventually thrown out (excommunicated) by the Orthodox branch but, nevertheless, soon spread across the various lands in which Jewish populations dwelt, creating a great gulf between the two interpretations of a religion that had lost its base 2,000 years before with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the "exodus” of the population.

As compared to the previous religious practices, Hasidism focused upon the role of a "Rebbe” or "Zaddick,” a spiritually superior individual who acts as the leader of his community, pleading for his people and carrying their burdens eternally upon his own soul.

Since these roles are considered hereditary, one of the two boys in "The Chosen,” who became close friends on the baseball fields as teenagers, Danny Saunders (Thomas Gorrebeeck) was destined to pick up the Zaddick’s burden upon the death of his father Reb Saunders (Corey Fisher).

The most interesting thing about the diverse developments between the Orthodox and the Hasidim, is that by the time of this story, commencing in 1944, it was the Hasidim who had become the most stringently devout branch, clinging to all the visible customs and dress of the past, such as wearing very formal black clothing and black hats at all times, as well as, cultivating fulsome beards and long side burns, while the Orthodox, who were then looking for ways to reconcile the religion with the modern world, were indistinguishable from the rest of the American communities, except for the wearing skull caps.

The other friend, young Reuven Malter (Jonathan Bock) had a father David (Rolf Saxon) who was orthodox, but modern and had hopes for his intellectually gifted son to become a university professor of mathematics.

As a result, Reuven is a very American boy, openly intellectually seeking, while Danny, an intellectual genius with a photographic memory, is very quiet and rigidly restrained, needing to hide his seeking of knowledge outside of the boundaries of the religion from a rebbe father who has spoken hardly a word directly to him all of his life.

Even further complicating the lives of all four is the horrible revelation that one-third of the Jewish population of the world had been wiped out in executions and death camps during the conflagration in Europe.

There even becomes an issue between these two very strong fathers.

Reuven’s father had become dedicated to saving those left in Europe by the creation of the State of Israel and Danny’s father is bitterly against creating such a "secular” state and that the remnants needed to await the "coming of the Messiah.”

The relationship between the teenage boys, who live "five blocks and a world apart,” is very, very touching. Having different ambitions for their lives than that envisioned by their fathers, they really need each other.

Thomas Gorrebeeck, the only non-Equity member of the cast, does an inspired job of portraying the rigid Danny, so fearful of offending his overwhelmingly impressive giant of a father, the core of their Hasidic community.

And Jonathan Bock is just endearing as an All-American boy, an understandably confused teenager, adhering faithfully to the less repressive branch of the religion and blessed with a loving, understanding, if intellectual father.

The narrator of the play is Michael Navarra, who is Reuven as an adult.

This cast has been just perfectly chosen by director Aaron Davidman and his pacing is impeccable.

Structuring a two-hour play from a novel is quite an achievement by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok, himself, but it results in a very touching theatrical experience, capable of emotionally moving parents and children of any faith.

‘The Chosen’

Play by: Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok based on the novel of the same name by Chaim Potok

PERFORMED BY: TheatreWorks

Directed by: Aaron Davidman

WHERE: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 1

TICKETS: $26 to $62

CONTACT: 463-1960 or www.theatreworks.org