The Immigrant, a gefilte fish out of water tale, is a true life-based story about two Eastern European Jews who immigrated to a small Texas town in 1909. Inspired by his grandmother’s photo album, playwright Mark Harelik (Hank Williams: Lost Highway) uniquely tells the tender tale of Haskell and Leah Harelik (rhymes with garlic) as they make a new life in tiny Hamilton, Texas, and their evolving relationship with local banker Milton and his wife Ima, a devout Baptist. The Blowing Rock Stage Company performs the heartwarming and humorous play The Immigrant June 13-22 at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock, N.C.
Critics say Harelik captures the quest-for-assimilation story — the sacrifices, the cultural road blocks, the tragedies, the linguistic gymnastics that give way to hilarity — in fresh, exciting and poignant ways. Variety calls The Immigrant “superb,” and the Hollywood Reporter hails it “A lovely and loving evening of theater. Harelik's story is tender and touching.” And USA Today raves, “The scenes evoke the rural era with the firm-handed clarity of a Jewish Horton Foote...they glow.”
Says BRSC’s Producing Artistic Director and the play’s director Kenneth Kay of his decision to include The Immigrant in this season’s lineup, “I have wanted to direct The Immigrant for a long time. It is a beautiful play that truly captures the American experience of assimilation, tolerance and understanding. I think our audiences will see much of their own history in this play.”
The play covers the years 1910 to the present, beginning at the moment the non-English-speaking Haskell shows up at Milton’s front door peddling a pushcart of bananas. Alone and isolated, Haskell and his wife are befriended and protected by Milton, with Haskell eventually working his way up to being a responsible merchant, and despite the fact that Leah insists she doesn't want to raise children in a place that lacks a rabbi.
As the evolution of this unlikely quartet of friends unfolds, elements of mistrust, racism, prejudice and isolationism aren’t limited to Harelik’s Jewish grandparents; they’re as prejudiced and mistrustful as their Christian counterparts. What The Immigrant illustrates is the significance of different races reaching out to each other, trying to understand one another. In other words, this is our story. And the “our” is each and every one of us.
The cast of The Immigrant includes Christopher Kent as Haskell Harelik, Lisa Manuli as Leah Harelik, Stephen Ware (last seen as Father Tim in Jan Karon’s Journey to Mitford) as Milton Perry, and Vicki Boyle (God’s Favorite) as Ima Perry.
The Blowing Rock Stage Company presents The Immigrant June 13-22. Performance times are June 13 at 8pm, June 14 at 2pm & 8pm, June 15 at 2pm, June 18 at 8pm (talkback night), June 19 at 2pm & 8pm, June 20 at 8pm, June 21 at 2pm & 8pm and June 22 at 2pm. Tickets are $26 ($27 for Friday and Saturday night performances), $14 students and are available now by calling the Box Office at 828-295-9627. You may pay by credit card or by cash (in person). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.HayesCenter.org by credit card. Special group rates are also available. Season and Flex Passes can be purchased and used throughout the entire '08 season.
The Hayes Performing Arts Center is located at 152 Jamie Fort Road (off Hwy 321), Blowing Rock, N.C. Tel: 828-295-9627