Malthouse acknowledges the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their sovereignty and their Songlines. We pay respect to their Elders and their Children. We embrace and celebrate the oldest culture in the world.
Reading Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original short story was a revelation. Singer’s tale is dark—he writes of a world full of dybbuks, golems, and ghosts. His work reveals deep layers of Jewish mysticism, Judaic spirituality—and the Yiddish culture which informed so much of this new adaptation.
Yiddish is more than just a language. It is a culture with its own myths, characters, superstitions, stories, archetypes, and morals.
The team of co-writers and developers wanted to confront the complexities of this story head on and dive into its darkest corners, honouring the rich Yiddish traditions and ideas so prevalent in Singer’s work.
Jewish spiritual teaching presents the concept of the yeytser ho’re—one’s evil or destructive inclinations. The term ‘evil’ is misleading here; the yeytser ho’re is not morally bad or good. It’s simply that part of ourselves driven by need, and, if left unchecked, can tip over into selfdestructive and morally questionable behaviour.
The beautiful dichotomy of Yentl is that it is her pursuit of spiritual learning and higher purpose that ignites her destructive inclinations.
This dichotomy exists in the Judaic-Christian creation myth. The serpent that leads Eve
to taste the forbidden fruit of knowledge leads humanity to consciousness. Without that consciousness we would not be human. Jewish teachings are full of such conundrums and dichotomies. And Singer’s Yentl is a wonderful example of a character who, in striving for good, unleashes chaos.
I am very grateful to Elise, Galit, and Evelyn for their generosity and commitment while developing this script, and for the creative team who managed to realise visually and sonically the complexities of the content we explored. The work is undoubtably richer for the collaboration between us all. And to the exceptional cast—I cannot stress enough the level of hard work and perseverance required to learn another language in order to perform it with as much clarity and passion as they do.
I am thrilled that, in partnership with Malthouse, this work has another season and that more audiences across cultural, ethnic, religious and social groups can come together to discover the extraordinary character of Yentl and the rich cultural world they come from and inhabit.
GARY ABRAHAMS DIRECTOR & WRITERKadimah Yiddish Theatre (KYT) is the oldest theatre company in Australia, dating back to 1911 when the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre & National Library was established in Melbourne by Yiddish-speaking European immigrants. With award-winning Artistic Director Evelyn Krape and Executive Director Gary Abrahams at the helm, KYT has become Kadimah’s poster child and one of Melbourne’s most courageous and thoughtprovoking theatre companies. KYT is the only
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contemporary bilingual Yiddish-English theatre company in Australia and one of only a handful around the world. KYT is a multi-award-winning company that has been celebrated for its unique voice, telling stories that are universal and relevant through a quintessentially Yiddish lens. KYT’s success reflects a global revival of Yiddish, recognised by UNESCO as an endangered language, and regarded as a symbol of resilience and identity for minority groups and subcultures worldwide.
A Kadimah Yiddish Theatre Production. Based on the original Yiddish short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Originating Producer Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre & National Library; Kadimah Yiddish Theatre.
GENEVIEVE KINGSFORD (SHE/HER) CAST
HARRY DOWLING (HE/HIM) STAGE MANAGER
EVELYN KRAPE (SHE/HER) CAST
ROSEMARY OSMOND (SHE/HER) ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
DANN BARBER (HE/HIM) SET & COSTUME DESIGNER
GARY ABRAHAMS (HE/HIM) DIRECTOR & WRITER ELISE ESTHER HEARST (SHE/HER) WRITER GALIT KLAS (SHE/HER) WRITER
VIRGINIA PROUD (SHE/HER) ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
RACHEL BURKE (SHE/HER) LIGHTING DESIGNER
AMY HACK (SHE/HER) CAST
RUSSELL GOLDSMITH (HE/HIM) SOUND DESIGNER
NICHOLAS JAQUINOT (HE/HIM) CAST
JOSH REUBEN (HE/THEY) SUBTITLE OPERATOR
NATALIA VELASCO MORENO (SHE/HER) BESEN FAMILY ARTIST PROGRAM RECIPIENT (LIGHTING)
BOARD
FIONA M c GAUCHIE (CHAIR)
JACOB VARGHESE (DEPUTY CHAIR)
JADA ALBERTS
DR ANNA FOLEY
LINDY HUME AM Ph D
ANDREW MYER AM
SUE PRESTNEY
PAMELA RABE
ALISON WHYTE
ALAN WONG
ALICE AMES (OBSERVER)
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MATTHEW LUTTON OAM
VIVIA HICKMAN
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ANNIE BOURKE
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MARLINE ZAIBAK
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TRACEY HORSEY
LIZ WHITE
CONNIE STELLA
CAITLYN O’KANE
STEVE HEARNE
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CLAIRE LA GRECA
JACQUI BATHMAN
AAYUSHI PARIKH
LAUREN GALLINA
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DAVID DRYSDALE
PATRICK CRUMMY
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PRUE SUTHERLAND
FIONA WISEMAN
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PAUL BUCKLEY
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ELIZABETH WHITTON
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TAIT ADAMS
LEIA ALEX
ASH BASHAM
AL BRILL
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MYLES CAREW
EDWIN CHEAH
JUSTIN GARDAM
FINNIAN GLEESON
LUKE GRANA
KADIN HAWKER
PADDY HAY
JODI HOPE
ETHAN HUNTER
PATRICK JONES
KHISRAW JONES-SHUKOOR
JOSHUA MACKENZIE
NICOLAS MOLONEY
SAM NIX
ROSEMARY OSMOND
NICHOLAS PAGES-OLIVER
WILLIAM PALAZZO
CHRIS PAYNE
RHYS POTTINGER
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CECILY RABEY
NATALYA SHIELD
DARREN THAO
EM VAN DYK
PHILIP WATT
OUNIE WITHEROW AITKEN
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DANIELLE GIORDANO
EMMA CORBETT
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FRONT OF HOUSE STAFF
CARA BRODIE
MITCH BROTZ
LOUISA CARPINTERI
DANIELLE GODER
ZOE HADLER
GEORGE JEFFORD
SOPHIE M c CRAE
HAYLEY NEWMAN
TEXAS NIXON-KAIN
ELLIE ROTH
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DARCIE SHORT
FLYNN SMEATON
BARNEY SPICER
KENNY WAITE
KATE WASHINGTON
HAYLEY WOLTERS
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CAMERON BAJRAKTAREVICHAYWARD
ISSY COMEGNA
LEWIS EGAN
KIRRA NINER
RACHEL ROVIRA
ELLEIA RUSSELL
CLAUDE SARMIENTO
KAIVU SUVARNA
LACHIE WATTS
Our Malthouse Muses are our inner circle of philanthropic supporters who intimately share our vision for making theatre that defines our city and our world. We couldn’t do it without you.
URANIA
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Malthouse Muse donations are recognised for 12 months from the time of donation. The lists above are current as of January 2024.