Friends, comrades, family, neighbors party-goers!
We’re writing to tell you about this year’s Purim!
First and most importantly: as most of you have already guessed, the Aftselakhis Spectacle Committee is not making a show this year. We could describe it as a shmita / jubilee / fallow year, and that would be true; we could say that we can’t do what we do without being in a room together (with you!), and that would be true too. And we could just say that having a year to rest and think is a good thing for us.
But! fear not!
Our Purim world is vast and growing! So there are many (video-based) shpils of many kinds to fulfill your ritual obligations this year, and some of us are part of some of them.
(in chronological order)
Zachary co-made the purimshpil video for Kolot Chayeinu (Brooklyn),
airing February 25th at 6pm EST. Details:
https://www.kolotchayeinu.org/upcoming-events-registrations
Rosza made a toy theater sequence for the finale of the Kol Tzedek purimshpil (Philadelphia), “Olam Hadash: A Whole New World, A Very Howard Ashman Purim Special”, airing February 25th at 8pm EST. Details:
https://www.kol-tzedek.org/purim.html
Jenny will be part of the LabShul purim play (NYC), “Preposterous Pandemic Post Patriarchal Prophetic Purim Portal”, airing February 25th at 9pm EST. Details: https://labshul.org/event/p7-purim-labshul/
And Rosza and Jenny will both be part of “Crying Nazi Dinner Theater: An Antifascist Purimshpil” (NYC), airing February 27th at 9pm EST. Details:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crying-nazi-dinner-theater-an-antifascist-purimshpiel-tickets-141744624989
And for those of us who want even more of a durational experience, there are also these!
(also in chronological order)
With Di Rozeve Pave / Pink Peacock and Homos & Houmous (Glasgow), February 25th 8pm GMT (nyc+. Details: https://form.typeform.com/to/IHMFY8sI
With Beth Hatfiloh (Olympia), “Doikayt Now! A Purimshpiel for the
Current Moment” (Olympia), February 25 at 7 pm PST. Details:
https://tinyurl.com/DoikaytNow
With Hinenu and Right to Housing Alliance (Baltimore), “Rent Strike
Shushan”, February 25th at 7:30pm EST. Details:
https://mailchi.mp/2c09a2473f75/rent-strike-shushan?e=c3b0d1a588
With Independent Jewish Voices (Toronto/Canada), “Dancing In An Upside
Down World! / Pandemic Puppets Purim Shpil”, February 27 at 8pm EST.
Details: https://www.ijvcanada.org/purim5781/
With JVP-Seattle and Kadima Reconstructionist Community (Seattle),
“Community-Powered Purim 5781”, February 27th at 7:30pm PST. Details:
www.eventbrite.com/e/community-powered-purim-tickets-137222067899
Enjoy them all!
We still hope to show you all our 2020 shpil, which remains just as
relevant now as it was then – police violence, mizrahi poetry, jail
expansion, contraband, progressive [sic] DAs, angels and all – if we
ever do get our documentation back.
Hoping to see you all in the flesh again someday,
The Aftselakhis Spectacle Committee