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PURIM SHPIEL - JRC PURIM PARODY PRODUCTIONS © 2004 Jordan Margolis THE DEVELOPMENT OF PURIM SPIELS © 2004 Jordan Margolis As early as the 1400's Jews celebrated Purim with silly monologues and funny poems. These early monologues were mostly rhymed paraphrases of the Book of Esther, as well as parodies on liturgical and other holy texts, such as a "kiddush" or a "sermon" for Purim, composed to entertain the audience. Influenced by the German Christian Fastnachtspiel, the Purim Spiel (Purim Play) gradually developed, By the beginning of the 1500's, the Purim Spiel was usually presented in private homes during the festive family meal; the performers, who wore masks or primitive costumes, were generally recruited from among yeshivah students. In the course of time the Purim-shpiel became the object of competition between groups of performers recruited not only from among students but also from among apprentices. craftsmen and mendicants; even professional entertainers saw in the Purim-shpiel a field for their activity. Like the Fastnachtspiel, the Purim performance was introduced conducted, and concluded by a narrator (leader of the performance), traditionally called loyfer, shrayber, or payats, and, as in the Fastnachtspiel, profanity and obscenity of an erotic nature were outstanding elements of the humorous effects. By the mid-16th century, the prologues to the Purim-shpiel had developed a conventional form which included blessings for the audience, an outline of the contents of the performance, and an introduction of the actors; conventional epilogues had also developed, including parting blessings and appeals for an ample reward. One of the shorter prologues included the following: "Good Purim good Purim, my worthy audience! And do you then know of Purim's significance?... excerpt from an a epilogue went: "Today Purim has come in, tomorrow it goes out. Give me en my singe groschen and kindly throw me out!" By the second half of the 16th century, Purim Spiels sometimes included contests between cantors from Poland, Italy, and Germany. Until at least the mid-17th century, the subject matter of the Purim-shpiel was drawn from contemporary Jewish life and was based on well-known humorous tales. This type of Purim-shpiel also survived in Eastern Europe until World War II. Well-developed texts on biblical themes presented as Purim-shpiels began to appear in the late 17th century. Naturally, the subject of the oldest surviving text of this type, a manuscript of 1697, is the story of the Book of Esther, popularly known as the Achashverosh-shpiel. In the 18th century the repertoire expanded to include The Selling of Joseph and David and Goliath, and in the 19th and 20th centuries East European ,performers presented The Sacrifice of Isaac, Hannah and Penninah, and The Wisdom of Solomon. These biblical works retained the conventional form of shpil with prologues, epilogues, parodies, vulgar language, the traditional narrator, and, often, stories unconnected with any biblical theme, In fact, the printed version of the Achashveroshshpiel was so vulgar that it was burned by the city fathers of Frankfort. This was also probably the reason for a public notice of 1728 in which the leaders of the Hamburg community banned the performance of all Purim-shpiels. To assure compliance with the ban, fines were threatened and special investigating officers were posted. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, the biblical Purim-shpiel reflected many, trends of the contemporary European theater in its literary style, choice of subject, and scenic design. Previously marked by extreme brevity, not exceeding a few hundred rhymed lines and by the limited number of performers, the Purim-shpiel became a complex drama with a large cast, comprising several thousand rhymed lines performed to musical accompaniment in public places for a fixed admission price. Nonetheless, the plays maintained a connection with Purim and were performed during the appropriate season. Today, many communities and individual synagogues put on elaborate Purim musicals, creating parodies from Broadway shows. Many synagogues encourage congregants to dress up in costumes. THE HISTORY OF JRC PURIM PARODY PRODUCTIONS Not since "The Five Books of Moses" has a collection of dramatic stories so changed the world of religion. Until now, with the production of "Camelplotz!", the Six Purim Parodies of Margolis will alter Jewish history. O.K., so maybe these comedic plays haven't yet had the impact of the Bible, but they certainly have changed the story of The Book of Esther. The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston (JRC) has been producing theatrical parodies of Broadway musicals for over 25 years. Most synagogues celebrate the spring holiday of Purim by reading the traditional Megillah It. commemorates a triumph over persecution in ancient Persia) while wearing silly hats or costumes; and some congregations present "Purim Shpiels", usually a skit which includes several familiar songs with altered lyrics. Then there's JRC's Purim Parody Productions, which offers full length original musical parodies, written by JRC member Jordan Margolis, directed by Judy Holstein and performed by children and adults. Each play varies the genocidal threat of evil Haman, but the Jews always survive by the final curtain. The Five Parodies of Margolis began with "Miss Shushan" (Miss Saigon), in which Esther was really a prankster named Ezra, who fooled the King and won a beauty pageant. Thereafter, the first Jewish drag queen had two secrets to hide from the King - that he was a man, and that he was Jewish. The second Margolis parody was "Little Schnapps for Schnorrers" (Little Shop of Horrors), where a man-eating plant from outer space ate a dentist and developed a taste for the Jewish people. Next came "Bally Chai, Meisahs From the South Megillah" (South Pacific) in which evil Haman faked his own hanging so that he could trick the Jews to voluntarily leave Persia. Noting that the Jews would go anywhere for a deal and a beach, Haman plots to lure the Jews to a fantasy fitness island where he intends to feed them into a volcano. "West Side Tsorys, The Purim Parody" (West Side Story investigated the psychological underpinnings of Haman's hatred of Jews, ultimately revealing that his romantic advances were rejected by Esther as a teenager. In the fifth Margolis Parody, "Les Mishugenables, Une Parodie de Purim a Paris", the Jews escape persecution and the fashion police by running away to Paris, led by Jean Valthong, a wannabe designer. They create a corporate empire out of the dor l'dor sales of "Amen" the heavenly fragrance. But when threatened anew, the Jews are saved by a Miracle Bra, designed by valThong for Queen Tooloose of France. Now with the production of "Camelplotz! Behind The Legend, The Reil Shpiel", Chicagoland has another double Three-Peat delivered by a Jordan. The one record no one thought would ever be broken, The Five Books of Moses, has been shattered by Margolis' 6th Parody. "It's like breaking Babe Ruth's home run record (without using steroids)", crows Margolis. "I feel like Lance Armstrong, only not quite as sweaty." In "Camelplotz", King Arthurverus creates The Meeskites of the Triangular Table, based on the suggestion of Mordrek (Haman) the High Jinks Minister. Mordrek is a frustrated comedian who finally loses his cool in a jesting tournament, insulting Queen Gettashmear (a bagel munching Esther) in violation of the King's new laws prohibiting hurtful humor. The Jews are once again saved from peril and the King realizes that the Table should be round, like a bagel. |
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