<< Art Project

Purim Spiel
Shadow Theater
Performed in Russian

Sunday, March 8th, 2 pm
The JCC Manhattan 334 Amsterdam Ave @ 76^th St, New York, NY

The joyous holiday of Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jews in ancient Persia thanks to the cleverness of
Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai who prevail over the King's evil advisor Haman.

The unique staging of The Purim Spiel Shadow Theater gives a new life to the Jewish tradition of the Purim Spiel. 
The show is performed on an inflatable sphere and accompanied by new musical arrangements of well-known
songs from Russian cartoons.

Credits:
Directors: Leonid Khanin
Creative Director: Luba Proger
Playwright: Anya & Maxim Lianski
Musician: Alek Alabin
Actors/Singers: Anya Fidelia, Alexander Korenkov
Puppeteers: Yana Manovskaya, Luba Proger, Maria Aiolova
Video Operator: Boris Krichevsky
Set & Puppet Design: Leonid Khanin & Luba Proger

Purim Story
Once upon a time, between the destruction of the First Temple and the building of
the Second Temple, the Jews were almost destroyed.

In the city of Shushan, Vashti, the Queen of Persia, refuses to obey the order of
the King of Persia, Ahasuerus, to dance before his guests. The King then searches
the country for a new queen. From among hundreds of applicants,
Esther, cousin of Mordechai the Jew, is chosen.

The King's Prime Minister was an evil man named Haman. Haman,
a descendant of the tribe of Amalek, dislikes the Jews and decides to kill them.
He convinces King Ahasuerus to issue an edict, which orders the destruction of
all Jews in the land.

Mordechai pleads with Esther to save the Jewish people by talking to the King.
At the risk of her own life, Esther appears before the King without being
summoned by him. She reveals her own Jewish identity to the King
and reveals Haman's evil plans.

The King is outraged at Haman, and he issues a decree to make Haman
the victim of his own infamous plot. Haman and his sons are killed,
and the Jews are saved.