'Hanukkah Lights in the Big Sky' a holiday play at MJTC

Liam Beck-O'Sullivan and Amanda Cate Fuller, Photo by Minnesota Jewish Theater Company

The Highland Park Community Center hosted the Minnesota Jewish Theatre's, Hanukkah Lights in the Big Sky, December 10th, directed by Shelli Place. The theater space radiates with warmth, wonder and humor. It’s set in Isaac’s bedroom, on a platform fit with a small window and mountainous slabs in the backdrop. Youngsters delight in the story of a community coming together to take a stand against racism. Roughly 2,200 children and adults are estimated to attend showings throughout December.

Hanukkah Lights in the Big Sky is a play inspired by true events that occurred in 1993 in Billings, Montana, and was commissioned by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company in 2005. This play retells how a brick was thrown at a menorah in a child's window during Hanukkah and how community leaders of all faiths came together to help spread a message of tolerance and peace, inspiring 10,000 families to display menorahs on Christmas.

Issac-the boy whose window the brick was thrown through, is played by Liam Beck-O'Sullivan. Liam gives an energetic and delightful performance of Issac as a kid everyone can relate to: staying up past his bedtime, and reenacting fight scenes from stories his mother told him about the Maccabees. It’s no wonder children of all ages were laughing at his charm and spontaneity.

Lee H. Adams plays an astute Judah Maccabee, someone Isaac in is inspired by. Judah is known in history as someone who led the Jewish uprising that Hanukkah celebrates. Adams played multiple characters. As a teacher, he was so convincing in his role that students in the audience began responding ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ to his queries and were quickly quieted by teachers who took this as an interruption. Most of his roles break for a glimmer of a second so that he’s transformed into Judah’s character in order to remind young Issac of a moral to be learned: “Isaac, are you listening with your heart?” 

The opening Tuesday morning production I had attended started at 9:45 AM. MJTC has a following production at 11:45 AM most days in December. Teachers at nearby schools should jump at the opportunity to get students on a field trip and back to school before the bell rings. Hanukkah Lights in the Big Sky will be held at several venues across the Twin Cities. Artistic Director, Barbara Brooks, hopes that the production will inspire the young and old with a greater sense of understanding and hope for courage, strength and love in humanity.

On December 15th, PJ Library will be hosting Hanukkah Lights in the Big Sky. Arrive between 12pm and 1pm for an open house style bagel & schmear lunch followed by the 1 hour performance.

Tickets for any perfomance can be bought online at http://mnjewishtheatre.org/ticketinfo