Stage adaptation of classic Chaim Potok novel mounted in Ottawa

August 20, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 13
My Name is Asher Lev:
Stage adaptation of classic
Chaim Potok novel mounted in Ottawa
By Alex Baker
My Name is Asher Lev, the classic novel
by Chaim Potok about a young man whose
need to express himself artistically puts him
in conflict with his Chasidic family and
community, has found new life as a stage
play with a script adapted by Aaron Posner.
The 9th Hour Theatre Company’s production of My Name is Asher Lev is running
through August 25 at the Arts Court Theatre.
“It’s the story of a person who is trying
to be an artist, but really it’s just about an
individual who is trying to speak with his
own voice and discover who he really is in
a community that is not set up for that,” said
Bronwyn Steinberg, director of the production in an interview with the Bulletin. “The
story is Jewish in its details, but the theme
is universal.
“It’s the idea that you have something in
you that you want to pursue, but the world
is not letting you pursue that chance. For
Asher, it’s being a visual artist. It’s a conflict between what’s expected of you and
what you want as an individual, a conflict
between religion and identity.
“There is the concept of suffering for
Asher, and he finds himself drawn to Jesus
Bronwyn Steinberg directs the production of My Name is Asher Lev, now playing at the Arts Court Theatre.
and the crucifixion image – even though
he’s Jewish and it’s totally wrong for him,
but this is really the image that resonates for
him and he’s drawn to the suffering.”
For Steinberg, a veteran actor and director with a master’s degree in fine arts from
the University of Ottawa, the chance to di-
rect Asher Lev was a real coup.
“I really love Chaim Potok’s novels and
it’s very much an honour to be able to work
with such a profound and deep script,” she
said.
Steinberg, 30, has been immersed in the
world of theatre her whole life – her mother was a high school drama teacher – and
she has always known what her future had
in store.
“I always knew that’s what I wanted to
do,” she said of the theatre industry. “At
first I wanted to be an actor, but we all become our parents, right? I enjoy the different challenges of being an actor and a director. One informs the other, but there is
truly no limit I can foresee as a director.”
The intrinsically Jewish subject matter
of the play is a natural fit for Steinberg, who
also has a double-major in linguistics and
Jewish studies.
“As an artist, I’m always trying to figure
out how to express my voice and my ideals
and who I am,” Steinberg said. “Despite my
very supportive upbringing, I still struggle
with questions of who I am as an artist,
what I want to say, and how to say it. This
story seems to really fit my life right now.”
My Name is Asher Lev, adapted by
Aaron Posner from the book by Chaim
Potok, opened August 15 and continues
until August 25 at the Arts Court Theatre, 2
Daly Avenue. For more information, performance times and tickets, visit 9th-hour.ca or
call 613-564-7240.
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