La MaMa in partnership with
CultureHub and the Polish Cultural Institute NY present
a 7-Nation Virtual Reality spectacle by Poland’s Dream
Adoption Society
THE BOOKS OF JACOB
Inspired by Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel prize-winning novel
La MaMa
66 East 4th Street
Runs
online and in person December 6-8, 2024 – All performances begin at 1:00 PM EST
La MaMa is known for pushing the
envelope, and THE BOOKS OF JACOB is no exception. Except this
time, they have propelled the reach all the way out to Serbia, Poland, Ukraine,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Greece! Audiences in all those countries, as well as
New York City, can watch either at venues or virtually online at the same time.
Jacob Frank claimed to be the reincarnation of the Ottoman Jewish mystic Sabbatai Zevi in the 18th century. Whether he was or not, I doubt he could have imagined this production. Multi screens (sometime screens within screens), genderless faceless bodies clad in white, avatars, humans, and multi-lingual messages simultaneously convey some of the wisdom, while computer machinations transport us to other realms of reality. The theme is that we are all alike and we are all different. “The complexity of man is enhanced by the quest for reconciliation,” and every certainty can be transcended and bring us closer to the pure essence. So don’t waste a lot of time defining and labeling. And as one character asks “Does everyone see the color green the same?”, you can’t help but wonder how participants in other countries are interpreting what you are witnessing. No matter, there are basic universalities that we all share. And therein lies the wonder of THE BOOKS OF JACOB, along with the tremendous effort and coordination of the many production teams. Stay until the end and applaud along with humankind from other countries in appreciation of the undertaking.
- Laurie Lawson -