The Hawk

Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: Entertainment

Haskell Harelick peddles his bananas to Ima Perry.

We've all heard our ancient relatives tell La-Z-Boy tales of the trials and tribulations endured at Ellis Island. It's one of our favorite little bits of Americana.

Did you know that at the same time, thousands of scared immigrants were being unloaded in Galveston, Texas as well? That's right, the same name changing and paper stamping that went down in New York in the early 20th century was happening simultaneously via the Gulf of Mexico.

This semester, Cap and Bells will put on "The Immigrant", a true story adapted for the stage by Mark

Harelik, whose grandfather emigrated from Russia in 1909. It deals tactfully with myriad issues facing the newly developing Jewish community in the South during that period. Racism, poverty, and religious discrimination characterize Haskell Harelik's (Greg Norton '08) immediate experience in the United States.

He is a banana peddler who is doing what he can to get his feet on the ground, and eventually make it possible for his wife Leah (Lauren Davis '08) to cross the pond.

As Harelik develops a friendship with a genteel Texan couple, the tensions created by American ignorance in the midst of a wave of emigration become exposed. Milton and Ima Perry (Robert Mateja, '09 and Maggie Brady, '09) are devout Christians who are not exactly thrilled when they find that they have invited a Jew into their home. At first, they personify that passive aggressive racism that's typical of our grandparents - a polite veneer which masks deep seeded preconceptions about "foreigners".

The Hareliks also struggle to adapt. Haskell overcomes a significant language barrier as he steps off the boat. After a while, "Pananasapennyapiece" isn't enough to get by as he becomes more comfortable in small-town Hamilton, Texas. Leah grapples with the issue of sacrificing orthodox Jewish customs for the price of assimilating into American culture. She also announces dramatically that she is pregnant toward the end of the first act. You'll have to show up for a live performance for details on the rest.

This production has been an immense challenge for Cap and Bells. Set construction for the play was very complex. The centerpiece of the stage is an innovative piece of rotating scenery, with as many as 52 wheels underneath it so that stagehands can manipulate it as needed, sometimes right in the middle of a scene. Interiors and unique set pieces, such as Milton Perry's office are rolled on and off the stage.

Continued...

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