To the Orchard

TO THE ORCHARD

Written by Les Hunter
Directed by Dale Heinen

May 27-29 & June 3-5
Playwrights Local
397 East 156th Street, Cleveland, OH 44110

June 10-12
Dobama Theatre
2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

Friday – Saturday at 8:00 pm & Sunday at 2:30 pm

College student Rachel Bergman reveals her sexual identity to her Orthodox Jewish father, who also is struggling with his own hidden past. In coming to terms with each other–and themselves–the pair must reconcile the conflicting pulls of tradition and individual desire. To the Orchard takes place in Brooklyn in the recent past, but incorporates dreamlike visits to turn-of-the-century England and the lost Jewish Eastern Europe. The spirits of Robert Plant and Virginia Woolf add a touch of magic realism to this intimate work about making mistakes, coming clean, and the power of history and family.

Run Time: Approximately 130 minutes, including one intermission.


Awards & Recognitions

Jewish Plays Project 2016 National Finalist

National Foundation for Jewish Culture New Play Development Grant


Support

Funding for this production is provided, in part, by the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and Baldwin Wallace University.


Press

Playwrights Local Brings a Fascinating To the Orchard as Their Inaugural Work
AXS Cleveland, 13 June 2016

Engaging To the Orchard Pits Tradition Against Desire
Cleveland Jewish News, 30 May 2016

New Theater to Produce Local Writers’ Scripts [To the Orchard Review]
Cool Cleveland, May 2016

Dale Heinen Handpicks To the Orchard as Her Next Assignment at Playwrights Local
Land of Cleve, 23 May 2016

To the Orchard [Radio Interview with Playwright Les Hunter]
The Sound of Applause [WCPN], 1 June 2016


Cast

Kelsey Angel Baehrens……….Rachel Bergman/August Belmont

Andrea Belser……….Tracie Braggs/Virginia Woolf

Robert Branch……….Simcha Bergman

Michael Regnier……….Rabbi Isidore/Robert Plant


Creative Team

Laura Carlson Tarantowski……….Set Design

Inda Blatch-Geib……….Costume Designer

Eric James Dahl……….Assistant Director

Paul Kit……….Carpentry

Paul Lowry……….Projection Design

Jonathan Maag……….Lighting Design

Daniel McNamara……….Sound Design

Francesca Mamlin……….Production Manager

Megan Mingus……….Stage Manager

Heather K. Pederson……….Prop Design


Photos

Credit: Dale Heinen. Click for complete gallery.


Program