Dus buch fyn Gan Ejdn / The Book of Eden

This is a new show in the Jewish Theatre. Polish premiere of “Dus buch fyn Gan Ejdn / The Book of Eden” in the original language - February 3, 2023

“Dus buch fyn Gan Ejdn. Di wunderleche lebns baszrajbung fyn Szmuel Abo Aberwo” – “The Book of Eden, or the bizarre life description of Shmuel Abo Aberwo”

Published by Icyk Manger in 1939, “The Book of Eden” is a novel that has become a permanent part of the canon of Yiddish literature. It tells the story of longing for a lost place. It is a beautiful dream. In his unique style, Manger combines humor, Polish folklore, and themes from the Tanakh and Kabbalah, and chooses motifs from his earlier works. Many of the characters seem to be the recurring visitors from the universe of his poetry.

“As a genre, the fairy tale will be the basis for creating the stage world of our show. Following Manger's thought, fantasy events that stem so closely from Jewish tradition, such as the plot of David and Bat Sheva, the Forefathers, Adam and Eve, and the Angel of Death, will reveal the universal truth about the humans, their dreams and dilemmas, love, and rivalry.

“In our first Polish staging of “Dus buch fyn Gan Ejdn / The Book of Eden” in Yiddish, we want to bring out the beauty of Manger's style and create a macrocosm that helps our audience to explore Manger's universal, but quite unknown, world,” says the show's director and playwright Damian Josef Neć, who is also the author of the adaptation of “Dus buch fyn Gan Ejdn / The Book of Eden.” A very important part of the performance will be the music composed by Slawomir Kupczak and his new arrangements of the poems in “The Book of Eden.” The set design by Zbigniew Libera will be a reference to King David's vast estates, so amply described in the novel.

“Dus buch” will be a multifaceted story about devotion to the homeland and homesickness. About the dream of experiencing the divine world and whether this dream is worth fulfilling.

The play is in Yiddish with Polish subtitles. The subtitles prepared for the show apply translations of “The Book of Eden” by Icyk Manger made by Michał Friedman and approved by the Michał Friedman Foundation.

EPILEPSY WARNING

The performance includes visual effects (e.g. flickering lights), which can trigger epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness. If anybody or members of your family has ever exhibited symptoms of epilepsy caused by flickering lights, we encourage you to consult a doctor before watching the show. If you suffer from symptoms of epilepsy while watching a performance, please call the ticket staff immediately, leave the auditorium, and contact your doctor.