A  MUSICAL  DRAMA
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P.O. Box 320302,

Los Gatos, CA 95032

 

 

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Phone (408) 674-7140  

Fax (270) 638-7770

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The Story of Estherinfo email

Esya (short for Esther in Russian) Levite is a student of the University of Leningrad. A friend brings her to an underground Jewish group that studies Hebrew in preparation for emigration from Russia. While Esya is not interested in studying the language and feels quite detached from her national culture, she wants to participate in a Purimspiel, a theatrical performance based on the Book of Esther. She is given the leading role of Queen Esther. Sergey, a young computer engineer, volunteers for the role of Modecai.

The group wants to set forth the non-orthodox version of the Scroll of Esther, including the episodes that are typically not shown. They start with the downfall of Queen Vashti, then move on to the scene where the young maiden Esther (the same age as Esya) expresses her desire to marry the king of Persia and become a queen. She does not care much about her Jewish identity, and craves the luxurious life of the royal palace. As Esya and Sergey practice their roles, they fall in love with each other. Esya, as well as Sergey and other youth in the group, is well educated and intelligent: she speaks French, plays the piano, sings, understands higher math, etc.

Meanwhile the Soviet secret police learn about the preparations for the performance.  The Russian authorities see the celebration of a religious holiday as an act of civil disobedience, which is true to some extent. The captain of the local police station is given an order to halt the show at any cost. Should he succeed, he is promised a promotion, while a failure means severe punishment for him. The case becomes a matter of personal pride for the captain as well.         more