Some are born to lead. This phrase is thrown around, usually referencing people who are charismatic, natural leaders. However, in some cultures, leadership is an inherited birthright. What if, instead of inheriting riches and glory, you were born into a responsibility you knew you could not take on?
Danny Saunders, played by Andrew Bosworth, struggles with this responsibility in the play, “The Chosen” at In Tandem Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. The show is based on the classic novel by Chaim Potok and is running until March 25.
Danny is a 16-year-old Hasidic Jewish boy living in Brooklyn at the end of World War II. He unexpectedly befriends Reuven Walters, played by Eric Schabla, who is a Modern Orthodox Jew. The pair soon became close friends, drawn together by their passion for academia.
Reuven has been encouraged to cultivate different perspectives and has been exposed to different academic interests by his father, David Malter, who is a professor. His father, played by James Tasse, encourages Reuven to pursue math. Danny too has a brilliant mind but has his future is already decided for him.
Danny’s father, Rabbi Issac Saunders, played by Bill Watson, is the spiritual leader of a Hasidic dynasty, known as the Rebbe. Rabbi Saunders’ dynasty originated in Russia five generations ago. In a Hasidic dynasty, a rabbi is appointed, and the role is then passed down every generation to the first-born son. The Hasidic culture is rooted in tradition and is not adaptive to modern ideas, practices or even clothing. Danny is expected to be the next Rebbe, even though he longs to study psychology.
The play does a brilliant job of demonstrating the parallel between the boys’ different lives through the stagecraft. The venue is small and intimate, but the set’s simplicity is effective. The set shows two home offices in the Saunders and Malter residences, but in reality, it is physically set as one room. The fathers’ desks sit directly across from one another in a mirror image.
The show is heavily based on the principle of father-son relationships. Throughout the show, the boys are visiting their fathers and talking about their hopes for the future and where Judaism is headed. There are moments when the boys are in their own houses, having the same exact conversation with their fathers at the same time, again, like a mirror. The mirror images like these are symbolic of the characters looking into themselves and figuring out who they really are.
While they were using the same words in these mirrored conversations, each actor completely made these words their own. The performances were phenomenal, Watson in particular. His stage presence was authoritative, yet compassionate and humble. His emotions perfectly embodied a devout man’s strong faith whose convictions could not be swayed.
The relationship between Bosworth and Watson was dynamic and intricate. Bosworth clearly showed the struggle of a son trying to fit into his father’s expectations even though they so starkly clashed with his own.
Silence was a large part of the show. Rabbi Saunders continually ignored Danny, and told him, “I wish everyone could talk in silence.” There were moments when the actors did not talk and sat in a muted conversation. “The Chosen” explores what it means to be introspective, and how silence can both benefit and hurt a family.
This silence explored deeper questions that are relevant about religion today. How can we preserve and honor religious tradition while still progressing as a modern society?
“The Chosen” is a poignant testimonial to the bonds of family and friendship, but it also brings to light how religion can either strengthen or tear at those bonds.