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.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Great Review from Paula Citron (post-show)


Theatre Centre – Michael Rubenfeld’s The Book of Judith

reviewed by Paula Citron
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The Book of Judith
Theatre Centre, Absit Omen & Die In Debt
Written by Michael Rubenfeld (with Sarah G. Stanley)
Directed by Sarah G. Stanley
Starring Michael Rubenfeld (with choir)
At the tent on the CAMH grounds
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Sadly, the run of The Book of Judith is over, but it was a fascinating theatrical experience. It took place in a tent on the grounds of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health so that it would be completely disabled-friendly. The format of the play was an old-fashioned revival camp meeting. Audiences were given missals which contained the prayers and the hymns composed by Andrew Penner. There was an on-stage choir of eleven mostly disabled singers.

Playwright, librettist and performer Michael Rubenfeld is one of Toronto’s most interesting men of theatre. The genesis of the play was Rubenfeld’s encounter with quadriplegic, activist and visual artist Judith Snow, and the initial starting point was, “How do you find a lover for a quadriplegic?”

The plot is basically the history of Rubenfeld writing the play with co-writer and director Sarah G. Stanley, but it is also much more than that. It is the story of a remarkable woman called Judith Snow told through wit, humour and passion.

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