Yentl

This is a visually stunning, inspiring, and witty stage adaptation of this iconic story. The separation of sex, body and mind underpins the dialogue, action, and the staging. The set design has a haunting chiaroscuro, quasi-German expressionist effect. The smoke-filled backgrounds combined with the stony natural environment in the foreground create a somewhat eerie atmosphere. This highlights the notion of obscurity and stealth that governs this essentially queer story.

Amy Hack as Yentl beautifully captures the intensity of the pressure of cross-dressing and the many stresses this puts on the most important relationships in her life. Hack never allows the audience to forget the façade she is forced to maintain and the very dramatic internal conflict this causes. Every exchange and encounter are heavily weighted with deceit, but this often generates an astute and wry humour that is gripping.

Evelyn Krape is energetic and masterful in her role as The Figure (a narrator of sorts). Her presence is impish, sometimes acting as Yentl’s conscience or bringing to life some of the other personas such as Yentl’s father. Krape is often as mischievous as Puck (Midsummer Night’s Dream) while also taking command or control of events in the fashion of Prospero (The Tempest). She plays the part with this kind of Shakespearean grandeur and humour, and this makes the production thoroughly and delightfully entertaining. The timing of her interventions whether they be narrative information, gleeful laughter or simply sighs are impeccable. They accentuate the absurdity or the impossibility of the various scenarios and punctuate the play in a tremendously effective manner.

Nicholas Jaquinot as Avigdor and Genevieve Kingsford as Hodes also provide strong performances. They both subtly convey the way religious beliefs inescapably dominate their psyche, often teasing out the tortuous nature of the difficulties that arise from their relationship with Yentl.

This highly accomplished stage adaptation addresses the underlying philosophical questions that make Yentl much more than a story with a feminist or queer agenda. Important notions such as love, romance, affection, sexual intimacy, trust, parenting, and friendship are all tested to their absolute limits. This production does not hesitate to confront all of these questions in a way that is daring, explicit and all-consuming.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Jeff Busby