“Indecent”: Inspiring Story of “Scandalous” Jewish Play—at Center REP
Michelle Drexler and Kina Kantor. Photos by Kevin Berne.
Paula Vogel’s Genius Work Celebrates Free Speech, Honest Love
by Emily S. Mendel
“We have a story we want to tell you, a story about a play. A play that changed my life,” so speaks Lemml, the stage manager (lovingly played by Vincent Randazzo) as he introduces Paula Vogel’s play. “Indecent” tells the incredible story of Polish–Jewish author Sholem Asch’s controversial 1906 drama, “God of Vengeance.”
Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel presents Asch’s little acting troupe’s behind-the-scenes perspective during the long history of “Vengeance.” We follow its origins in a Warsaw attic, its European successes, and its Broadway debacle.
And in telling the story of “Vengeance,” playwright Vogel turns the tale of this infamous Yiddish play into an artistic metaphor for the cause of free expression. She reveals the harms of censorship and anti-Semitism throughout modern history.
Vincent Randazzo
Asch’s “Vengeance” is about a “pious” father who tries to marry his innocent daughter off to a yeshiva student. But he owns the brothel in his basement, and his daughter falls in love with a “working girl” downstairs.
Although it was opposed by some Polish Jews, the story of the daughter’s liberation nevertheless received tremendous acclaim all over Europe in the 1920s. Amazingly, Lemml becomes a theater manager and has great success with “God of Vengeance”— a daring, surprise triumph.
“God of Vengeance” opened in the Yiddish theater in New York in 1923 before moving to Broadway. It became the first Broadway play to show two women kissing. But in the Broadway version, crucial scenes were cut and censored. Unfortunately, both Jews and non-Jews attacked the show. “Vengeance” outraged Americanized Jews who ‘just wanted to fit in.’
“Vengeance” closed in six weeks. The cast, the producer, and the theater were found guilty in a New York City court of participating in “an indecent, obscene and immoral” event. They were deported back to Poland, where, ten years later, the Holocaust descended. This is all true.
The cast of Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” at Center REP, Walnut Creek
Excellent director Elizabeth Carter and the exceptional actors (who play many roles) elevate “Indecent” into a rare artistic and emotional experience. The dramatic scenes between the two women (outstanding Michelle Drexler and Kina Kantor) seem tender and loving, not at all “indecent, obscene and immoral” by today’s standards.
Lemml and his fellow actors demonstrate strength and commitment to the artistry and purity of “Vengeance.” They exemplify the courage of those who make a life in the theater through difficult times. Music Director Timothy Fletcher greatly supplements and enhances with period music.
The Bay Area Yiddish Theatre Ensemble, which collaborated with director Elizabeth Carter, enriches the production’s authenticity. It was fun to see the actors use their Yiddish expressions with the appropriate emphasis, pronunciation, and shrug of the shoulder.
Spoken by 11 million Jews before World War II, Yiddish is currently the first language of fewer than two million people, although it is taught in many colleges in the United States and elsewhere. If only my Yiddish-speaking grandparents were alive to enjoy today’s renaissance of Yiddish language and culture.
I highly recommend the acclaimed “Indecent” for its insight into the dangers and cruelty of censorship, and its dramatic perception, compassion, and understanding of the workings of the human heart.
The cast of Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” at Center REP, Walnut Creek
“Indecent” by Paula Vogel, directed by Elizabeth Carter, score & original music by Lisa Gutkin & Aaron Halva, music director Timothy Fletcher, scenic design by Christopher Fitzer, costumes by Brooke Kesler, at Center REP, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California.
Info: centerrep.org – to September 28, 2025.
Cast: Michael Champlin, Michelle Drexler, Cindy Goldfield, Kina Kantor, Adam KuveNiemann, Vincent Randazzo, and Joel Roster.
