Tour Dates

October 3rd - St. Catherines (Workshop/Market Square)
November 17th - Glasgow (Hamilton Townhouse)
November 21th - Liverpool (Sefton Palm House)

What is the Book of Judith?

The Book of Judith, created by Michael Rubenfeld and Sarah Garton Stanley, is a musical play about a self-annointed preacher man who is passionately driven to change the lives of others. After a chance meeting with a quadriplegic woman named Judith Snow, theatre artist Matthew Goldberg believes he has “seen the light”. With the help of his director, Shauna Coupland, and her best friend, disabled artist, Pippa McLaren, Matthew has managed to coral a fully integrated group of choristers with and without disability, to help him tell, for the first time, his inspirational, maniacal and deeply suspect tale of Judith Snow. The Book of Judith takes us from innocence to ignorance and through to the other side – a truer place of transformation.

The Book of Judith stars Michael Rubenfeld and features Sarah Garton Stanley, Judith Snow and a revolving cast comprised of local members of the community the work is performed in. It is directed by Sarah Garton Stanley.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

PERFORMANCE 5 and 6.


Hi. Hi. Hi.
Wow. Wow. Wow.

What a BIG day. Doing the show twice was really something. I've done two show days before, but man, oh man, this show really takes something out of me. Yesterday felt like a week in one day. Seriously. Epic. Quite amazing and beautiful, but also very exhausting. But what a gift this show is.

Alright. A couple things to say.

Today was a big day. A really big day. It was a big day for some people in the audience, like Nicole, for example. I had not met Nicole before, but after the show, she came up on stage, and she told me that seeing the show has helped her understand something about what she has to do next in her life. Now, this is not the first time this has happened. I got this feedback last night also from Lisa. And there have been smatterings of this sort of thing in the air a lot. In T.A.N. (coffee shop across the street) somebody has written on the bathroom chalk board: "The Book of Judith playing across the street will change your life." So. What does this all mean? Too be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure. But I am amazed. Thank-you to the many many people who have stayed and shared thoughts and feelings with me, and thank-you also to the many who have written. It all means a lot. Really.

I do want share a few quotes from some of the emails I've gotten from people who have seen the show. They will remain nameless, as the messages are quite personal.

"I think I feel revived. I'm stuttering only because it's not quite what I imagined being revived would feel like. It's not a perishing of all your fears. Or euphoria. It's more like being a little more awake. Awake past what you think is awake. Feeling the poppy seeds in your teeth. Seeing more. Or at the very least, seeing your fear of seeing. I felt very vulnerable tonight. And grateful. And pushed around. And looked after. I felt community. I felt that I should be braver."

"I was - in this order - thoroughly engaged, amused and entertained, mildly uncomfortable and, finally, very moved. I was too moved, in fact, to stick around, and I had myself a cathartic, tearful walk home. (I still can't say why I was so moved.)"

"It was very profound, touching. It went into the head, but through the heart. Your voice, gestures, dance and eye contact, and the choir's spirit and rhythm, made it very powerful, something you can't just WATCH. But something you need to let in."

"I haven't seen such brave, compelling, precise, passionate, inventive, committed and most of all inspiring story telling in a long long time."

Wonderful!

I want to also send some love out to Liana and Frank (from the choir) today. Yesterday was a big, hard day for both of them. You're both wonderful and doing amazing jobs and we're so happy to have you in our choir.

The whole choir is going to have a hang this afternoon after the matinee, and I'm pretty excited about that. Am excited also to have a day off. MY VOICE IS TIRED! Who ever thought that being in a musical would be so tough on your voice!

Much Love,
Michael

2 comments:

  1. Thank you Michael...and thank you to everyone for hooking up this afternoon. I find pleasure in watching everyone enjoy themselves--especially when the eyes can see! You are all beautiful ! and apparently, my pooch wants to go home with all of you for about 30 seconds....but he knows who butters his bread so....

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