My Name Is Asher Lev March 19, 2010

Aaron Posners luminous new play is based on the visionary novel of the same name by Chaim Potok (whose other novels include The Chosen). Possessing a prodigious artistic ability, Asher Lev is compulsively driven to draw and paint the world he sees and feels. Born into a Hasidic Jewish family in post-World War II Brooklyn, his artistic genius threatens to estrange him from both his parents and his community. Ashers journey is by turns heartbreaking and exultant as hes torn between two identities, one consecrated to God, the other subject to the imagination. Following its recent world premiere, The Philadelphia Inquirer called Asher Lev exquisite while TalkinBroadway.com said its a truly beautiful theatrical experience.Blake's Take: Aarons exciting work has been seen locally at the Folger, Theatre J, and Round House. His adaptation of Potoks The Chosen won the Barrymore Award and has been seen at more than 30 regional theatres. Aarons new theatrical treatment of Asher Lev is already attracting interest from producers across the country. Jeremy Skidmore directs this stage adaptation of Potoks most personal novel.Featuring Lise Bruneau, Alexander Strain