The Peoples Violin Book

THE STORY: A play about Americans and Israelis, Jews and gentiles, truth and deception. Sol Shank, 43, is an experimental filmmaker, transplanted New York Jew, and unhappy son of a famous man. Sol's father, Sidney Shank, is a psychotherapist, Holocaust authority, New York intellectual and author of two dozen books. Sol's wife, Nirit, is Israeli-born and herself a psychotherapist. To jump-start his faltering career, Sol begins work on a documentary film about his father. He discovers a mysterious violin, launching him on a quest that uncovers hidden chapters in his father's past. Evidence mounts that his father may not be who he claimed, forcing Sol to question what it means to be Jewish - and forcing the audience to question the meaning of identity, tribe and self. Framed as a documentary film itself, THE PEOPLE'S VIOLIN intersperses Sol's narrative with scenes set in New York, Chicago and Tel Aviv. Though not a comedy, the play frequently employs humor in its exploration of family relationships, culture and identity. A formidable work of art‚¬¦generous in narrative detail and color, complex in its meaning. - San Francisco Chronicle. Astoundingly engaging‚¬¦gracefully grapples with the distinctly American notion that we can reinvent ourselves. - San Jose Mercury News. A beautifully wrought drama. - Oakland Tribune.