Page 13 - Fiddler on the Roof Playbill

Director’s Note

Last spring, I began the search for this spring’s theatrical production. I proposed
Fiddler on the Roof and received raised eyebrows. “But this is the year for a play.”
Why? Tradition—we always alternate musicals and plays!

While my decision to disrupt this tradition with two musicals in a row does not
bear the same consequences as Tevye’s decisions for his family, I still felt the
irony. And yet, with the depth of talent in the Logic and Rhetoric School and the
enthusiasm sparked by last year’s production, I couldn’t ignore the opportunity
before us. Instead of “Why?” the question became “Why not?”

Tevye’s story has resonated with audiences for well over a century, beginning with
the publication of Sholem Aleichem’s short stories in 1894. Perhaps because it
began as a series of stories, Fiddler feels uniquely literary—inviting us to consider
human nature, family, and its connections to other great works. At its heart, Fiddler
is a story for fathers and mothers. It speaks to the greatest hopes and worst fears
parents have for their children. It asks parents to consider how they might
respond to children who reject them and their faith. It points to the certainty of
change within a family and a nation. It asks the papas and the mamas to consider
if they are willing to compromise on their beliefs, or if they, like Tevye, will break
if they bend too far. I hope you are able to reflect on these questions, and I would
love to hear your thoughts in the days to come.

Other questions I have considered during rehearsals:
1.How is this story similar to or different from other pieces of Russian
literature?
2.Tevye, with his five daughters who desire to marry eligible men, bears some
resemblance to Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. In what ways are they similar
and in what ways are they different? Who is a better father and why?
3.What does the Fiddler symbolize? Is he Tradition, trying to stay alive in the
precariousness of a progressive world? Or is he representative of Tevye
himself, trying to split the line between modern ideas and tradition?
4.What “traditional/old” things do you wish had never been modernized?
5.The character Perchik is clearly a Marxist. How do you think audience
perceptions of Perchik have changed from his first introduction in the 1894
novels (before the Russian Revolution) to now?

Abbie Patrick, Director