On Stage

 

NEW JERUSALEM :


THE INTERROGATION OF BARUCH DE SPINOZA AT TALMUD TORAH CONGREGATION: AMSTERDAM, JULY 27, 1656      

      

June 26–July 25, 2010 

By David Ives
Directed by Jeremy Skidmore

In this witty theological drama, philosopher and accused apostate Baruch de Spinoza faces excommunication from the Jewish community.

PURCHASE TICKETS

 

“Mr. Ives’s humor has always mixed the cerebral with the silly... his daring leap into metaphysics is… an engrossing primer on Spinoza’s radical thinking.” – The New York Times 

 

Featuring:

 

 

 

 

 Michael Tolaydo

 Larry Redmond

 Alexander Strain

 Ethan Bowen

 

 

 

 Eliza Bell

 Brandon McCoy

 Lauren Culpepper

 

 Who was Barauch Spinoza?

Wikipedia states..."Spinoza's moral character and philosophical accomplishments prompted 20th century philosopher Gilles Deleuze to name him "the 'prince' of philosophers."'

My Jewish Learning labels him..."Baruch Spinoza: Heretic Extraordinaire"

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophers simply says..."Baruch (or Benedictus) Spinoza is one of the most important philosophers—and certainly the most radical—of the early modern period."

Click on the links to learn more and decide for yourself.  

 

Meet the author, David Ives, excerpts from an interview in NY Magazine:

Let's start with the subject matter. What's the deal with Baruch de Spinoza?
I read Spinoza when I was at Yale drama school, and I don't actually remember why. It was probably because it was Spinoza and he was supposed to be important. Maybe I was just avoiding my schoolwork.

...Then a couple years ago, I read that Einstein, in his old age, was asked if he believed in God and he said, "I believe in Spinoza's God." So I picked up this book called The Courtier and the Heretic, and I thought, My God, this is an amazing story. Sort of a Greek tragedy, the story of a young man whose community has to shut him out in order to survive in Amsterdam. I took a huge number of notes, and I couldn't let go of it, so I just sat down and wrote the play quite quickly, probably within a week or ten days.

Is New Jerusalem a comedy?

"I love what W.H. Auden said, "Comedy is the noblest form of stoicism." And Spinoza was as stoic in a way as well with his ease in the world. And so even though they seem to be quite different, they both feel like me in some sense."