Jewish Theatre Collaborative to Present DAVITA'S HARP, Opening 3/19

In the stormy melting pot that was 1930s' New York City, a young girl comes of age and finds her voice. You'll meet her for the first time when the curtain rises at the world premiere of Davita's Harp (based on the book by Chaim Potok, March 19-April 9, 2016 at Milagro Theatre). It is within the context of her communist parents, a missionary nurse aunt, a mystical story writing "uncle" and orthodox cousins, that Ilana Davita discovers who she is and chooses who she will be. The beloved book comes to life and its heroine self-actualizes before your eyes in a powerful portrayal of how "the village" impacts individuals. JTC transports you back in time to encounter a chapter of American history when our fundamental notions of politics, identity, nationalism, and even love erupted. This story is full of passion, imagination, ideas and heart. It will move you. And you will remember Davita long after you leave the theater.

The performance is appropriate for ages 13+.
Directed by Sacha Reich and adapted from Chaim Potok's novel by Sacha Reich and Jamie M. Rea, the play will feature Kayla Lian, Danielle Weathers*, Jason Glick, Heath Koerschgen, Kate Mura, Sara Fay Goldman, Anthony Green, Illya Torres-Garner and JJ Johnston.

Earlier performances in this year's Page2Stage season, including "Aflame - an album of Jewish Radicalism" and "The Power of Music" concert explored themes and history central to Davita's Harp. The Page2Stage journey climaxes with the World-Premiere adaption of the novel.

Chaim Potok was born and raised in New York City. He began to write fiction at the age of sixteen, graduated with a B.A. summa cum laude in English literature, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. An ordained rabbi, he served as an army chaplain in Korea for sixteen months, with a front-line medical battalion and an engineer combat battalion. He won the Edward Lewis Wallant Award in 1967 for "The Chosen" which was also on The New York Times best-seller list for more than six months and was a finalist for a National Book Award. He won the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction in 1991 for "The Gift of Asher Lev". His other novels include The Chosen, My Name is Asher Lev, and The Promise. He died in 2002 at age 73. Davita's Harp is the only one of Potok's full-length novels to feature a female protagonist.

This World Premiere is produced with the generous support of Ronni Lacroute and WillaKenzie Estate, the Oregon Cultural Trust, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Oregon Community, Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE, Collins, Autzen and Renaissance Foundations.

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