Winner Ashland New Plays Festival, 2004.
Tamar Greenwold has been unexpectedly
called to return from a long awaited vacation
with her husband. Her sister-in-law Claire is
lying in the hospital seven and a half months
pregnant, brain-dead, on lifesupport.
Arrangements have been made by
Tamar's close friend and attorney Kristin Joseph
to have an Israeli immigrant adopt the child.
Devoted to her Jewish faith, Tamar is thrilled
until she discovers that the mother to be,
Sahrrah Shouman, is Arab- Israeli. As the adults
wrestle with the conflict, the nature of identity,
faith and truth are called into question.
Meanwhile Hannah, Tamar's gifted eight year-old
daughter has become increasingly attached to
the aunt she hardly knew and the unborn child.
In an effort to stem the tide of conflict between
the adults, Hannah evolves a plan with
potentially deadly consequences.
“Approached with great humor and humanity, Solomon’s Blade speaks to anyone
who has ever looked in the mirror and seen a stranger.” - Dramatists Guild
Starring: Rose Passione and Roy Von Rains, Jr. Directed by: Livia Genise
Winner Ashland New Plays Festival, 2004
Review by Steven Masone
Normally I do not like doing reviews that have "social activist" intent. While
Theatre has a rich history of bringing social ills and issues to light as both
commentary and expose', that mainstream media covers very superficially, I
decided to see Solomon's Blade as the theme is so relevantly explosive and
controversial. Finding equanimity in this thousands' of years real life tragic
drama of enmity between Muslim Arabs and the Jewish people, is nothing
short of impressive.
I was adopted (de facto) by the Jewish family of my teenage first love, and of course
have my sympathies ingrained from that experience where I had a rich experience,
and a further affinity developed as I also trained with Israeli soldiers in the U.S. Army.
However, as a journalist, I see subjective and bias reporting in American media betraying
the institution of journalism.
There! With my position and subjective viewpoint declared, I will begin on the looking at
the merits of the play for it's artistic accomplishment, and theatrical value.
The redeeming social value though the theme of the play, speaks for it'self.
No one can be a hundred percent objective in this topic in this day and age.
Lines are being drawn by political persuasions as well as religious and racial
lines of bigotry on both sides. I was hoping playwright Lisa Beth Allen was not
making this a promo statement for her side. She was not.
Lisa Beth Allen achieved her intent with impartiality for a most important element
of a story, to wit ; redemption, to work it's way through in a very skillfully layered plot .
..with thoughtful and provoking highs and lows of emotional content being acted out by
a very good ensemble of actors with a great script and excellent direction...culminating
in a pivotal twist I did not see coming.
Stephanie Jones, left, plays Sahrrah Shouman, Maddison Garren play Hannah Greenwold and Rose Passione plays Tamar Greenwold in Camelot Theatre's production of "Solomon's Blade." Mail Tribune / Denise BarattaCamelot Theatre is located at 101 Talent Avenue in Talent, Oregon, just north of Ashland. From Interstate 5, take exit 21, go west on Valley View Road thru the traffic light at Highway 99, bear right at the the traffic circle and end up on Main Street. The theatre is located at the corner of Talent Avenue and Main Street.
The play asks questions of identity, faith and human relations in this recently and increasing chaotic world in turmoil, with a focus on the incendiary topic of how radical Islam and the terrorism it inspires, have affected the public discourse and our own sensibilities.The dialogue is filled with witty humor and an indigenous sense of chutzpah, that is crafted with intelligence and much thought. A mixed diverse cast of characters puts contemporary
attitudes toward culture, faith and customs on trial, as we also look deep into ourselves as we see
religious and racial intolerance from many viewpoints including the innocent peacemaking
an eight year old precocious...yet insightful and inspiring young girl.
Every performance was outstanding, with special cu do's to Rose Passione, who had the lion's share of dialogue
in the lead role as Tamar Greenwold, and Maddison Garren, as her eight year old daughter,
Hannah Greenwold. There were no weak links in the cast...all did a great job.
Director Livia Genise is to be congratulated her insight to first of all select this original play,
which is always a gamble that people would attend unknown works. And again for making it
all weave together in a powerful offering.
With such a volatile and devisive subject matter, as soon as the Muslim vs Jew hostilities
begins to manifest between protagonist and counterpart, you could feel the uneasy tension
throughout the audience and cut it with a knife. However with the title in play, The Blade of Solomon wins out!
The Blade of Solomon is taken from the biblical account of "The Judgement of Solomon."
Two young women who lived in the same house and who both had an infant son came to Solomon for a judgment.
One of the women claimed that the other, after accidentally smothering her own son while sleeping, had exchanged
the two children to make it appear that the living child was hers. The other woman denied this and so both women claimed
to be the mother of the living son and said that the dead boy belonged to the other.
After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there was only
one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible
verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Oh Lord, give the baby to her, just don't kill him!" The liar, in her bitter jealousy
, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!"
According to the Midrash, the two women were mother- and daughter-in-law, both of whom had borne sons and whose husbands had died.
The lying daughter-in-law was obligated by the laws of Yibbum to marry her brother-in-law unless released from the arrangement through
a formal ceremony. As her brother-in-law was the living child, she was required to marry him when he came of age, or wait the same
amount of time to be released and remarry. When Solomon suggested that the infant be split in half, the lying woman,
wishing to escape the constraints of Yibbum in the eyes of God, agreed. Thus was Solomon able to know who the real mother was.
"Splitting the baby"The expressions "splitting the baby" or "cutting the baby in half" are sometimes used for a form of simple compromise .
