Field Guide

To the Educators, Students, Actors, Directors, Designers and any Art Advocate

that may find themselves exploring this Field Guide:

Welcome to the Fiddler on the Roof Field Guide presented by The Playhouse San Antonio!

Here at The Playhouse San Antonio our mission is to produce high quality live theatre that inspires, educates,

and entertains audiences of all ages. Our passion is to connect our community to the world at large by telling

stories that reveal the truth of the human experience.

In the spirit of this mission, we offer our audiences the opportunity to continue their experience at the

theatre by providing events and interactive resources like this Field Guide. Its purpose can function in many

ways—in the classroom, as a series of activities, a resource to artists, and a behind the scenes glance into this

amazing, venturesome production.

We suggest exploring the guide both before and after attending The Playhouse’s production of Fiddler on the

Roof running Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. from December 5-22, 2014.

The Playhouse is proud to be hosting an Education Night for students on December 20, 2014 for tickets as low

as $10! Additionally, thanks to the support of the Cowden Foundation, 200 of the evening’s tickets are fully

underwritten. If you have any questions or would like to participate in an education night with your school,

contact Christina Casella at ccasella@theplayhousesa.org.

Thank you and enjoy!

Meet The Director

Since Fiddler on the Roof premiered on Broadway in 1964, and the film was released in 1971, audiences have seen some significant changes in what is considered “tradition” in our American culture. Yet audiences continue to relate to the beloved characters and the universal themes of Fiddler on the Roof. The show remains relevant to worldwide audiences with its emphasis on the importance of family, the pain of prejudice, and the friction that can occur between generations. The show is very well-received worldwide, with one Japanese reviewer noting, “Fiddler on the Roof is about the Japanese culture.” The show speaks to all of us regardless of our ethnicities or religions. Including this year’s revival, it has been on Broadway five times, played London's West End four times, and remains among Broadway's sixteen longest-running shows. Fiddler on the Roof has become a “tradition” unto itself.

As with any classic American musical comedy, our goal of bringing Fiddler on the Roof to The Playhouse San Antonio was to stay as true to the script and musical score as possible while allowing our cast and crew to fully develop the beloved characters in their own unique way. Much of the original Jerome Robbins choreography and direction were used in The Playhouse production. The marvelous set design is inspired by the designers of the Broadway touring company set designs, Steve and Sam Gilliam, who are retained consultants for the production. The cast and crew have become a family and even shared a Shabbat dinner with our in-house Jewish consultant, Tova Rubin, Ph.D. We have all benefited from having been part of this special fiftieth anniversary performance of Fiddler on the Roof. We hope you enjoy the journey to Anatevka as much as we have.

Page One

Photo Credit Siggi Ragnar

The timeless story “As the play begins, Tevye, a Jewish milkman, tells of the customs in the little Russian town of Anatevka. It is 1905, and life here

is as precarious as a fiddler on the roof, yet, through their traditions, the villagers endure.

At Tevye’s house, his wife, Golde, and their five daughters prepare for Sabbath dinner when Yente, the town’s matchmaker, ar-rives. She tells Golde she has a possible match for Tzeitel, their eld-est daughter. The girls speculate about whom they will marry some-day, but Tzeitel says they must take whomever Yente arranges for them. Ironically, she has already secretly pledged her love to Motel

Kamzoil, a tailor, who has yet to find the courage to ask Tevye for her hand.

As Tevye makes his deliveries around town, he prays, asking what

harm there would be if he were a rich man. He meets and takes a liking to Perchik, a student from Kiev, and offers to hire him as a tu-tor for his two youngest daughters.

When Tevye returns home, Golde informs him that he is to meet Laz-ar Wolf, a wealthy butcher who is Tevye’s age, following the Sabbath meal to discuss a proposal. Tevye believes Lazar Wolf wants to buy his milk cow, but soon discovers the proposal is that of marriage to Tzeitel. Though Tevye is not very fond of Lazar Wolf, he agrees knowing that his daughter will never starve. They celebrate with oth-ers from the village at the local tavern. On his way home, the Rus-

sian constable stops Tevye and warns him of an upcoming “demonstration.”

The following day, Tzeitel and Motel plead with Tevye to rethink her marriage arrangement to Lazar Wolf, and to consider Motel

instead. Tevye eventually agrees but how to break this news to Golde? He creates a story where Golde’s grandmother and Lazar Wolf’s late wife, Fruma-Sarah, appear to him in a dream and threaten to curse Tzeitel if she marries Lazar Wolf. Golde believes this

is a sign and agrees to the match. Tzeitel and Motel are married in a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, which is unfortunately disrupted by the constable’s “demonstration.”

Meanwhile, Tevya’s second daughter, Hodel, has fallen in love with Perchik. They break tradition by telling Tevya they love each other and will be married, asking only for his blessing and not his permission. This causes Tevya and Golde to contemplate their own marriage and love for each other after twenty-five years. Perchik promises to send for Hodel and leaves for Kiev to work for the revolution. He is arrested and sent to prison in Siberia. Hodel decides she must go to him, a decision that her father eventually supports.

Weeks pass, and Tevya’s third daughter, Chava has fallen in love with a Russian villager named Fyedka. She pleads with her fa-ther to be allowed to marry him; but marrying outside the Jewish faith is unacceptable to him, and he forbids her to see him again. The next day, Chava and Fyedka secretly elope, and Chava is disowned by her family.

The trouble continues as the Russian constable tells all the Jewish villagers they must pack up and leave Anatevka within three days. Everyone prepares to leave as they reminisce about their miserable little town that so many have called home for so long. Chava and Fyedka come to say goodbye and make peace. Tevye refuses to look at her, but has Tzeitel wish her well before they all depart, the fiddler playing as they exit.” (Utah Shakespeare Festival)

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Fiddler on The Roof Timeline Fiddler on the Roof was originally titled Tevye and is based on the 1894 story “Tevye and His Daughters” (or “Tevye the Milkman”) by Sholem Aleichem. The title for Fiddler on the Roof was inspired by a painting called “The Fiddler” by Marc Chagall. Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on September 22, 1964. It was the first musical theatre production in history to have a Broadway run surpassing 3,000 performances, closing with a total of 3,242. Fiddler on the Roof held the record for the longest running show on Broadway for 10 years. The original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. By the end of his life in 1998, Robbins had received five Tony Awards®, two Academy Awards, the 1981 Kennedy Center Honors, the 1988 National Medal of Arts, the French Legion of Honor, three Honorary Doctorates and an Honorary Membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The first actor to play Tevye on Broadway was Zero Mostel. Mostel was also considered by director Norman Jewison for the 1971 film adaption, but Jewison felt Mostel’s interpretation of Tevye was too comedic. He instead cast Chaim Topol, who also played Tevye in numerous stage pro-ductions.

The 1971 film version of Fiddler on the Roof won two Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards. Paul Lipson holds the distinction of appearing as Tevye more than 2,000 times. In 2007, Time Magazine ranked Fiddler on the Roof as the 7th most frequently produced musical in American high schools. Harvey Fierstein replaced Chaim Topol as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof: The Farewell Tour in 2009 after Topol left the tour due to torn muscles in his arms.

Page THree

The life and times of sholem alEIchem

Born Sholem Rabinovitz in 1859 in Pereyaslav, Ukraine.

At the age of 15 he adopted the pseudonym Sholem

Alechem, a Yiddish variant of the Hebrew expression shalom

alechem, meaning "peace be with you" and typically used as a greeting.

1876, after graduating from school in Pereyaslav, he spent three years

tutoring a wealthy landowner's daughter, Olga (Hodel) Loev On May 12,

1883, they married, against the wishes of her father.

In 1883, when he was 24 years old, he published his

first Yiddish story, Tsvey Shteyner ("Two Stones")

In 1888–89, he put out two issues of an almanac, Di Yidishe

Folksbiblotek ("The Yiddish Popular Library")

“Tevye the Dairyman” was first published in 1894.

After witnessing the pogroms that swept through southern Russia in 1905, Sholem Aleichem

left Kiev and resettled to New York City,

Sholem Aleichem died in New York on May 13, 1916 from

tuberculosis and diabetes at the age of 57.

Page Four

Designing a classic

Steve's career began 45 years ago at Timber Lake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll, Illinois. Today, he and his wife, Sam Carter Gilliam, collaborate as a husband and wife theatrical design team (SLG Design & Creative Talent) with designs throughout the United States. Recent work include designs for SeaWorld's Pets Ahoy, three national Broadway tours of Fiddler on the Roof, 2000-2003, 2009-2010, and 2010-2013 starring Topol, Harvey Feinstein, John Preece, and Theodore Bikel; and Cannery Row Capers, a Sea Lion, Walrus, and Otter Show at SeaWorld. They also provided art direction for Trendmasters' New York Toy Fair; Legoland Theme Park in San Diego; and designs for 20 seasons at the St. Louis MUNY, America's largest outdoor theater seating 11,000. The Gilliams have design credits with Chicago's Light Opera Works, Georgia's Springer Opera House, Six Flags Theme Parks, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Starlight Theatre, Opryland Theme Park, Village Theatre in Seattle, Hong Kong Singers, Baltimore's Cockpit-In-Court, ARTS San Antonio, and Texas State Aquarium. A member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829, Mr. Gilliam celebrated his 20th Season as a resident scenic designer for the MUNY in St. Louis, retiring in 2013 and having designed 73 shows enjoyed by over 4 million theatre goers. A member of the faculty since 1981, Steve retired from Trinity University in 2012 having taught 30 years to outstandingly creative and challenging students. He received his B.A. in Speech and Drama from the University of Northern Iowa and his M.F.A. in Scene Design from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Featured in our show is the same design used for the

Broadway tour of Fiddler on the Roof.

Page Five

For Your Consideration

Tradition is a huge theme of Fiddler on the Roof. Listen to the song “Tradition”. What

traditions does your family have? How are they similar? How are they different?

How does religious tolerance play into Fiddler on the Roof? Are these themes still alive

today?

What does the Fiddler represent in

the show? Why does Tevye invite

the Fiddler to join him as they leave

Anatevka ?

Examine the daughters. How are

they different?

What makes them similar? How do the ways they challenge Tevye set them apart or make

them more alike?

Page SIX

Works Cited www.newrepublic.com/article/117621/wonder-wonders-and-worlds-sholem-aleichem-reviewed

http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=1544

http://humanracetheatre.org/1314/fiddler/fiddlerontheroof-studyguide.pdf

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/aleichem.html

http://www.bard.org/education/studyguides/Fiddler/fiddlersyn.html#.VOukdnzF-So

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Special thanks to

The cowden Foundation