Gallery Players to Open Women's Minyan on Nov. 1

Gallery Players will kick off its 60th season with the Columbus premiere of Women's Minyan, written by Naomi Ragen, on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. in the JCC's Roth-Resler Theater. Entitled "Minyan Nashim" in Hebrew, the play recently closed a five-year run at Israel's National Theater, with more than 450 sold-out performances, and now has been published in book form.

Based on a true story, Women's Minyan tells how a mother of 12 from the Orthodox Jewish community in Israel flees her abusive husband and, for the transgression of leaving her family, is banned by a court of men from ever seeing her children again. In the play, the woman meets with an all female "minyan" to confront the issue.

"Women's Minyan was inspired by the true life story of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman in Jerusalem who was forcibly separated from her twelve children by a vengeful ex-husband and a complacent and corrupt social and judicial system," said Ragen in a recent interview. "When Women's Minyan premiered, this woman hadn't seen her children for five years. It has now been ten years. While her case has been taken to Israel's Supreme Court, it is doubtful she will ever see them again in her lifetime."

Her story is not unique to her, nor to ultra-Orthodox Judaism, said Ragen. "The pattern of abuse toward women emanating from the fundamentalist religious sect of all religions - all of whom profess to serve a just and compassionate G-d - is frighteningly similar all over the world. The solution will come when women, particularly religious women, refuse to accept these abuses against their sisters, standing together to change the world, looking to the true G-d for their inspiration and their courage," she said.

In the Gallery Players production, Kristina Kopf is portraying the role of "Chana," the lead character. Supporting her are her best friend, Zehava (Nancy Fox-Spiler), Frume (Laurie Alexander), Sheinhoff (Jackie Bates), Gitte Leah (Lynne Doyle), Adina (Danielle Mann), Tovah (Norma Whitmyre), and Eta (Kate Willis).

Portraying Chana's daughters, Shaine Ruth and Bluma, are real-life sisters (and students at Columbus Torah Academy), Ayelet and Tehelah Wenger. Gallery Players veteran Lynne Roth is directing the production.

The play will open on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m., with additional showtimes of Saturdays, Nov. 8 and 15 at 8 p.m., Sundays, Nov. 2, 9, 16 at 2:30 p.m., and Thursdays, Nov. 6, 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for Women's Minyan are $12 for JCC members, $18 for nonmembers, $10 for senior members, $16 for senior nonmembers, $8 for children or students, and $10 per ticket for groups of 10 or more.

For more information on the upcoming Gallery Players season, visit the Gallery Players website, or call (614) 559-6248.

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