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Which Jewish novel would make a good play?



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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, May 08 2022, 1:45 pm
There are so many great books out there. What do you think is a good book for a high school to put on for a play? One with a good lesson but hasn’t been ‘done’ yet (like the adopted princess). One with modern day characters as opposed to olden day would also be good…
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bigsis144




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 08 2022, 1:57 pm
I absolutely love this book: Yael Mermelstein’s “The Face in the Mirror”, and would love to see it adapted for film or stage.

https://www.yaelmermelstein.co.....irror

Quote:
Tami and Ariella are two cousins leading very different lives. Devastated by her father's death, Tami clings to nobody but herself. Ariella "Slick" Shick has popularity, money, and her amazing friends -- but her mother's air kisses leave her feeling empty.
When Tami and Ariella find their great-grandmother's matching mirrors on a silver- mooned night, their minds, their bodies and their lives are about to change forever. The question is, will they ever be able to get their old lives back?And - will they want to?


It’s labeled as a “fantasy” but the body-swap is the only fantastical element (no dramatic magic powers or exotic setting). Still, that alone that makes it very different from the typical frum story.

If you have actresses looking to flex their chops, the idea of playing two characters - their original character, and then the other character in their body - is a really cool concept.

——-

Found my original review of the book on imamother (back in 2013!!)

bigsis144 wrote:
I just finished reading Face in the Mirror and wanted to see what other imamother members thought...

I really, really liked it. It was SO much more than I expected.

Spoilers:

Hidden: 

I was expecting a hokey comedic "Freaky Friday"-like situation, where the loser and the popular girl switch places for a day or two at most, learn to sympathize with the other as wacky hijinks ensue and shalom al Yisrael.

But this really played up the drama and the strangeness and the fears involved in such a switch. Every time I thought I could predict how the story would unfold some new twist was revealed, but all of them were pretty organic and furthered the characters' arcs. I love that even when one girl was ready to switch back, the other wanted more time. The unsolved mystery of the great-grandmother who got stuck for life is some serious nightmare fuel and really upped the stakes.

The gimmick of the matching compact mirrors and some of the rules ("only 3 people can find out") were a bit, well, gimmicky, but they weren't just plot coupons -- they set the story in motion and shed light on both main and secondary characters, so they didn't bother me too much.


I immediately thought what an interesting frum film or play this would make, but I think the first-person narratives would get lost in translation. The narrators' voices, and the evolution of those voices, are one of the best parts of the book.

I laugh, though, that this is considered a "fantasy/sci-fi" book. Besides for the initial switcheroo, the world is very much our own, and the problems are very human as opposed to epic and fantastic.


Last edited by bigsis144 on Sun, May 08 2022, 2:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
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amother
Ivory


 

Post Sun, May 08 2022, 2:00 pm
Echoes from Chava Rosenberg.
Has family drama, modern day story and also some Holocaust history.
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amother
Tiffanyblue


 

Post Sun, May 08 2022, 2:05 pm
The Donor (Nechama Charach) it's says it's based on a true story. It has a lot of character, action, relationships and would be great for HS. You might have to change the main character to a girl but it shouldn't make much of a difference.

Also there are so many characters that you can give parts to so many girls.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Sun, May 08 2022, 3:01 pm
Family for a While
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