JCC of the East Bay hosts this presentation in which Dr. Naomi Seidman and Sarah Rose Leonard will trace the development of conceptions of Jewish identity in the United States from Israel Zangwill’s hugely influential 1908 play “The Melting-Pot” to Tony Kushner’s 1991 “Angels in America.” In particular, we will explore the role of romantic love in the process of Americanization, from the immigrant love story in Zangwill’s play to the queer relationships of Reagan-era responses to the HIV epidemic.
Sarah Rose Leonard, Berkeley Rep’s Literary Manager and dramaturg for “Angels in America,” will join us to discuss the production at Berkeley Rep,
April 17-July 22. This program is co-presented by JCC East Bay and Berkeley Rep.
Register: catalog.lehrhaus.org