Fiddler on the stage

Community Players perform Tevye’s classic tale

Imagine it’s 1905. You, Tevye, live in a poor Russian shtetl called Anatevka. It’s Shabbat, but all you can think about is survival – after all, you have five daughters to support and your horse is lame. So you pull the cart yourself, delivering the milk on time, but begrudge your ill luck. You’re still unaware of the upcoming pogroms and expulsion of Jews.

At home, your wife Golde bosses around your girls in preparation for the day of rest. Their conversations center on eligible bachelors and matchmaker’s offers. Your daughters are strong-willed and you worry that your influence on them is receding. Why can’t they just do as you say?

Relax, you’re not Tevye – you buy milk at a supermarket. But that doesn’t mean you can’t identify with the man’s eternal struggles. Even though you don’t debate arranged marriages, you have your own buttons that you don’t want pushed. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the pace at which the world is changing? Should you change along with it? To answer that question, you must see The Community Players’ musical, “Fiddler on the Roof.” Come to this wonderful performance by Rhode Island’s oldest community theater, kicking off its 93rd season with this beloved classic based on Sholem Aleichem’s tales. You’ll breach tradition along with Tzeitel, break the dance barrier with Perchik, and travel to Siberia with Hodel. The best part? You don’t even have to be a rich man!

Fiddler on the Roof will be presented October 11-13, 18-20 and 25-27 at Jenks Auditorium, 350 Division St., Pawtucket (across from McCoy Stadium). Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students through high school.

For more information or to order tickets: 726-6860 or thecommunityplayers.org.

Irina Missiuro (IMissiuro@gmail.com) is an editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.