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“Narrow Bridge” offers wonderful lesson in understanding the struggles individuals go through in grappling with questions of identity – in an often quite humorous fashion
Review by BERNIE BELLAN
Is it possible to produce a play that tackles the tremendous pressure any individual deciding to undergo a gender transformation must feel in a way that is both fascinating, yet very amusing? Add to that pressure yet more pressure though when not only is that individual changing their gender, they’re also becoming increasingly drawn to an orthodox form of their religion.
Such is the storyline of Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s newest production, “Narrow Bridge,” written by Winnipeg playwright Daniel Thau-Eleff – on now at the Berney Theatre in the Asper Campus until March 19.
Although I was somewhat familiar with the background to this particular play (having followed its long development process and the many twists and turns it took until it was finally mounted this year), watching “Narrow Bridge” in a preview performance on Thursday, March 9, left me thinking that the work that had gone into honing “Narrow Bridge” from simply an idea for a story that began 10 years ago into a play that is at once riveting, amusing, and highly educational has been well worth it.
The play opens with the protagonist, played by Elio Zarillo, who is identified as “Sholem” in the playbill, explaining to the audience that – at this point in their life, they are a woman whose name is “Samantha” (or “Shoshana” in Hebrew). (And, despite the antagonism exhibited by so many conservatives to the use of “they” as a pronoun in place of “he” or “she”, while watching this play it is totally apparent why a non-specific pronoun is perfectly appropriate for non-binary individuals. Still, don’t be mistaken into thinking “Narrow Bridge” is some sort of didactic lesson in gender politics. Far from it.)
Samantha is soon joined on stage by sister Naomi, played by Alissa Watson, and mother Elaine, played by Rhea Ekler. Naomi announces that is she going to be married in six weeks to her boyfriend, Kevin, who is about to convert to Judaism. The dialogue in the opening scene is fast paced and often quite humorous.
Soon enough the action moves to a local Orthodox synagogue, where we are introduced to “Mendel,” played by WJT veteran Harry Nelken. If ever there was a perfect fit for a local actor to play an Orthodox Jewish scholar, Harry Nelken is it. Not only does he look every bit the part of an older Orthodox Jew, when he offers dissertations on the Talmud, which he does from time to time through the First Act, he is absolutely convincing as a scholar.
Moreover, as much as one might expect that expositions on certain parts of the Talmud might be somewhat dry – to say the least, Thau-Eleff clearly has a deep understanding both of the Talmud and Jewish history. There is a recurrent reference to the “Sanhedrin” (which, as is explained in the play, was the Jewish high court in the time of the Temple) in “Narrow Bridge”, and although I myself grew up learning about the Sanhedrin, having attended Jewish day school, Mendel’s explanation of how the Sanhedrin worked is quite illuminating.
Samantha’s increasing fascination with the Talmud, strange as it may seem in our modern-day world, is given great credibility by the back and forth dialogue between Samantha and Mendel. Samantha puts her quest for wanting to know more about Judaism in the form of one succinct question to Mendel, that sums up much of what this play is about: “What does it mean to be Jewish?”
Does it help though to have a familiarity with the Talmud and Jewish rituals, such as which occur during Shaabat on Friday evenings in observant Jewish homes, in order to fully understand what is going on in “Narrow Bridge?” I’m honestly not sure. I would rather expect, however, that any audience member who is interested in learning about what would motivate someone who is not Orthodox to begin with to want to become Orthodox, regardless of that audience member’s own background, would find much of what “Narrow Bridge” has to offer quite moving.
As the play develops, a good part of the First Act is taken up with Naomi’s upcoming wedding – and Samantha’s clear reluctance to play a major role in that wedding, notwithstanding Naomi’s request that Samantha be her maid of honor.
Again, there are plenty of clever exchanges between characters – with many pithy observations brought forward. At one point prior to the wedding, when tempers are running high, Naomi says to Samantha – in reaction to something their mother has just said: “There is one thing you have to understand about Jewish families. Everything is a matter of life and death!”
The First Act ends with the actual wedding. Suffice to say it’s not a Hallmark movie wedding.
As we learn more about Samantha’s transformation into Sholem in the Second Act, we also learn more about much of the negativity within the Orthodox Jewish community toward gay, bi, and transgendered Jewish individuals who would still like to remain observant. Thau-Eleff’s treatment of what is a highly contentious subject within the Orthodox world is done though with the utmost sensitivity. There is no condescension in how he depicts Mendel’s refusal to accept Sholem’s gender transformation.
Ultimately, Sholem does find his place within the observant Jewish community – largely thanks to the constant encouragement and support of his mother.
“Narrow Bridge” takes on some very tough subjects – with its recurrent theme being a search for identity – or identities, as the case may be.
Each of the actors handles their role with great sensitivity. Sure, there are many laughs, but there is also a great deal of heartbreak. No doubt a play like “Narrow Bridge” will resonate most deeply with a liberal audience – Jewish or non-Jewish, but it would have a clear meaning for anyone who has either struggled with finding their identity – or watched someone near and dear go though that struggle.
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Is It Alberta’s Turn to Regulate Online Gambling? Looking at the Possibilities
Online gambling and betting in Canada is booming, with each province allowed to regulate its own space. Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, turned two this year after leading the way in April 2022. In what should motivate Alberta and other provinces, Ontario is already reaping the rewards, generating $100 million annually in gambling revenue. Will the local administration in Alberta do what is needed?
Talks have been rife that Alberta is considering going the Ontario way by having an open-licensing system. In July 2023, the minister for Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, issued a mandate to make this province a hub of online sports betting and gambling.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently asked Nally to cooperate with indigenous partners and other stakeholders to develop an online gaming strategy. The main focus will be on revenue generation and responsible gambling. In light of this, Nally said Alberta’s primary focus is becoming a “leading hub for iGaming” with streamlined regulations and low corporate taxes. Such conditions should position Alberta to become a leading iGaming destination.
A few weeks ago, the minister attended the ICE international gaming conference held in London. Together with Ontario’s Attorney General, Doug Downey, and other stakeholders, Nally participated in a roundtable discussion regarding the status of iGaming in Canada. CDC Gaming Reports also revealed that the discussion highlighted the success of iGaming in Ontario and how Alberta can emulate this success story.
Looking into the Alberta Budget 2024, it’s evident that state monopoly could soon give way to Canadian casinos to thrive in the province. Alberta took the first baby steps towards a more liberal gambling sector after setting aside $1 million for gambling. This budget will support the looming review of the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Act and supporting Regulation. The idea is to review the entire regulatory framework to find more funding ways for Alberta charities and community projects.
Major operators like BetMGM, PointsBet, and PokerStars have since hired lobbyists to ensure commercial operators become a reality in Alberta. Speaking to investors and industry analysts in March this year, PointsBet CEO Sam Swanell tipped Alberta and British Columbia to legalize online betting soon. He noted that this could provide the much-needed expansion of that TAM.
Alberta is yet to take full advantage of online gambling despite being the country’s fourth-largest province, with around 4.3 million people. Smaller markets in North America, such as West Virginia and Connecticut, are already benefiting from commercialized online gambling. The good news is that noises about legal online gambling are getting louder in Alberta. It’s just a matter of when the government will make the announcement.
What Next for Online Gambling and Betting in Alberta?
Including a $1 million gambling review budget is definitely a step in the right direction. However, there’s still much to do to end Alberta’s long-standing gambling status quo. But at least the budget opens the door for further discussions and reforms regarding iGaming in Alberta. That discussion has been underway, although the momentum has increased in the last year or so.
As it stands, PlayAlberta.ca is the only regulated online gaming platform in Alberta. It’s a government-run website operated by the AGLC (Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis). Besides casino games, this website provides sports betting and lottery-style gaming experiences. The legal sign-up age on PlayAlberta.ca is 18 years.
For Albertans who prefer more gambling freedom, the government doesn’t restrict anyone from joining offshore operators. Most gaming sites operating in Alberta are licensed in Curacao, the UK, and Malta. Compared to PlayAlberta.ca, these websites provide a more extensive variety of games, rewards, and general experience.
In conclusion, it’s just a matter of when Alberta will introduce an open-licensing market. This approach has proved to be a success elsewhere, especially in Ontario. A recent Ipsos report in Ontario revealed that only 13.6% of the residents prefer to gamble on offshore websites. Alberta could soon follow this path, although there’s much work to do to realize this dream.
Local News
Winnipeg-born Elliot Lazar to star as Paul Simon in “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” at Centennial Concert Hall
By BERNIE BELLAN Elliot Lazar’s career has long been chronicled in the pages of The Jewish Post & News. Do a search for his name in our “Search Archives” button and you will find a multitude of stories about Elliot from the time he was five years old.
A talented singer, musician, and musical arranger, also a graduate of Gray Academy, the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music, and the Boston Conservatory, Elliot has appeared many times in Winnipeg, including most recently last summer in Rainbow Stage’s production of “Rent.”
He’s been constantly busy – as a review of some of his past acting credits reveals. Last season alone, in addition to his performing in “Rent,” Elliot also appeared in the National Tour of “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “The Band’s Visit” (Huntington/Speakeasy Stage).
We’re excited to announce that Elliot will be appearing in Winnipeg for one night only, May 21, starring as Paul Simon in “The Simon & Garfunkel Story.”
Here’s Elliot’s own story about his growing up in Winnipeg:
“I grew up in Garden City, attended Gray Academy (K-12) and majored in vocal performance at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music. I lived in Winnipeg until I was 22, so I’m pretty connected with the arts scene there still. The venue we’re playing, the Centennial Concert Hall, I was last seen in Guys and Dolls in concert with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Rainbow Stage (2019), and before that I sang with the Manitoba Opera Chorus in 3 productions there. My last performance in Winnipeg was in Rent with Rainbow Stage this past summer. Other local performing arts companies I have a history with there are Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Winnipeg Studio Theatre, Dry Cold Productions, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Manitoba Underground Opera, Little Opera Company, and the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. I grew up going to see shows at the Concert Hall, so it’s a wonderful full circle moment for me.”
About “The Simon & Garfunkel Story”:
Nostalgia-inducing unforgettable hits! The internationally-acclaimed hit theater show The Simon & Garfunkel Story (www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com) returns to the road in 2024 with a North American tour to more than 25 cities. Kicking off in Richmond, Kentucky on January 28, 2024, the immersive concert-style tribute show will recreate the magic and authenticity of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel on stage and chronicles the amazing journey shared by the iconic, GRAMMY-award winning folk-rock duo. It tells the story from their humble beginnings as Tom & Jerry, to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the ‘60s, and to their dramatic split in 1970. The Simon & Garfunkel Story culminates with the pair’s famous “The Concert in Central Park” reunion in 1981 which had more than half a million fans in attendance. Tickets are on sale now.
The show features a set list of nearly 30 songs and uses state-of-the-art video projection, photos and original film footage. A full live band will perform all of the hits including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound” and many more complete with the unmistakably perfect harmonies that will transport audiences down memory lane.
With more than 100 million album sales since 1965, Simon & Garfunkel’s unforgettable songs and poetic lyrics poignantly captured the times made them one of the most successful folk-rock duos of all time. Over the years, they won 10 GRAMMY Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1977, the Brit Awards honored their “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album with Best International Album. In 2003, Simon & Garfunkel were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the following year saw their “The Sound of Silence” awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Local News
Ida and the late Saul Alpern have donated 2 ambulances and a scooter to Magen David Adom in past 4 years
By BERNIE BELLAN Saul Alpern passed away in 2022, but before he died he and his wife Ida had decided to make Magen David Adom a major recipient of their generosity.
As Myron Love noted in an October 2020 article the Alperns had been contributing small amounts to the Canadian Magen David Adom for some time, but it was in that year they decided to donate $160,000 for the purchase of a Mobile Intensive Care Unit for Israel’s Magen David Adom.
As Myron wrote in that 2020 article, an MICUA (which is larger than an ambulance, is staffed by paramedics, and responds only to the most medically serious cases) was donated “to the people of Israel in memory of Saul Alpern’s parents and siblings who perished in the Holocaust.
“It is an expression of my love for my family and my love of Israel,” Saul Alpern said at the time.
In early 2022 the Alperns donated yet another $170,000 for the purchase of a second MICU for Magen David Adom.
Saul Alpern passed away in November 2022, but Ida Alpern has now continued the legacy of giving to Canadian Magen David Adom that she and Saul had begun several years before. Just recently Ida contributed $39,000 toward the purchase of an emergency medical scooter. According to the CMDA website, “the scooter, which is driven by a paramedic, can get through traffic faster than the Standard Ambulance or MICU and provide pre-hospital care. It contains life-saving equipment, including a defibrillator, an oxygen tank, and other essential medical equipment.”
I asked Ida whether she wanted to say anything about the motivation for her and her late husband’s support for CMDA. She wrote, “Having survived the Holocaust, and being a Zionist, Saul felt that supporting Israel was of the utmost importance.”
On May 7, CMDA will be honouring Ida and Saul z”l Alpern at a dinner and show at the Centro Caboto Centre. Another highlight that evening will be the announcement of the purchase of an ambulance for CMDA by another Winnipegger, Ruth Ann Borenstein. That ambulance will be in honour of Ruth’s late parents, Gertrude and Harry Mitchell. The evening will also commemorate the late Yoram East (aka Hamizrachi), who was a well-known figure both in Israel and here in Winnipeg.
For more information about the May 7 event go to https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/canadian-magen-david-adom-for-israel/events/cmda-winnipeg-an-evening-of-appreciation/ or to purchase tickets phone 587-435-5808 or email sfraiman@cmdai.org
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