Based on a true story, 'Indecent' highlights lost moment in queer Jewish history

LAWRENCE — KU’s University Theatre will present "Indecent" by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel from Sept. 27 to 29 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall. 

A rich meditation on culture, identity and immigration, "Indecent" tells the true story of another play, Sholem Asch’s Yiddish-language melodrama "God of Vengeance," which caused a sensation in 1923 when it became the first play in Broadway history to feature a romantic kiss between two women.

"Indecent" is written and performed in English, though the audience will have a chance to see and hear a little bit of Yiddish, among other languages.

"Indecent" was first produced in 2015 and debuted on Broadway in 2017, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Play and winning the award for Best Direction (Rebecca Taichman). In addition to the cast of seven undergraduates, the University Theatre’s production of "Indecent" includes an ensemble of three local Lawrence musicians — all KU alumni — playing a variety of Jewish songs. 

Director Henry Bial, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance, drew on his extensive research in Jewish theatre to prepare for the production while also relying on colleagues for additional expertise in Yiddish language and traditional klezmer-style music.

“It’s really an all-star team we’ve put together for this project,” Bial said. “Live music plays an important role in the play. 'Indecent' has a little bit of everything: music, dance, laughter, tears, history, ethnicity, sexuality — you name it. 

“Having so much faculty expertise on board has helped the company rise to the challenge, while providing an outstanding learning opportunity for our students.”

Coming to life in an abandoned theatre, a “ghost troupe” enacts the story of Asch’s "God of Vengeance" (Got fun nekome) from its first reading in Warsaw in 1906 to its controversial Broadway debut in 1923 to its legacy in the aftermath of the Holocaust. 

By exploring this milestone in Jewish and LGBTQ+ representation, "Indecent" celebrates the transformative power of the theatre and challenges audiences to consider the responsibility of the theatre artist in times of social upheaval.

Tickets are available to purchase noon-5 p.m. weekdays at the box office in Murphy Hall and online at the performance website. Tickets are also available by calling 785-864-3982.

RB Perelmutter, professor of Slavic languages & literatures and Jewish studies, served the role of language consultant, coaching the actors on Yiddish pronunciation and providing additional expertise on the language and culture of the period. Theatre & Dance lecturer Justin Harbaugh, who is also the director of performing arts at the Lawrence Arts Center, is the musical director in addition to playing clarinet. Ric Averill — a director, playwright, composer, actor, and educator and director emeritus of performing arts at the Lawrence Arts Center — plays accordion; and Avery Parkhurst, a Lawrence-based professional musical artist, educator and 2018 School of Music graduate, plays violin.

The creative team is rounded out by Olly Mitchell, senior in theatre culture & society from Maize, as choreographer; Rana Esfandiary, assistant professor of design and technology, as scenic designer; Hanah Glimpse, a local educator, freelance designer and recent graduate of the department, as guest costume designer; Josh Gilpin, an MFA student in scenography, as lighting designer; Connor Maloney, senior in theatre design from Wichita, as projections designer; Lusie Cuskey, freelance intimacy choreographer and artistic mental health coordinator, assistant professor of theatre at Ohio Wesleyan University and graduate of the department, as guest intimacy choreographer; Elliot Bowman, senior in theatre and math from Topeka, as dramaturg; and Kennedy Tolar, senior in theatre from Tulsa, Oklahoma, as stage manager.  

As "Indecent" is a play within a play, the characters in the play are a theatre troupe and their stage manager. Britton Zavala, sophomore in theatre from Wichita, plays Lemml, the stage manager, with Nicole Piekalkiewicz, senior in theatre performance from Lawrence, as Chana; Marek Skeeba, junior in theater performance from Oskaloosa, as Otto; Katherine Leverenz, senior in theatre performance and finance, as Vera; Maya Welde, junior in theatre performance and Spanish from Overland Park, as Halina; Cooper Holmes, junior in theatre performance from Overland Park, as Avram; and James Kensinger, junior in theatre from Topeka, as Mendel. Caden Moffitt, a sophomore in theatre and journalism from Overland Park, and Natalie Loftus, a sophomore in theatre and English from Hays, are serving as understudies for several roles.

As a scholar, Bial's primary focus is the intersection of religion and popular culture, as illustrated in his books "Acting Jewish: Negotiating Ethnicity on the American Stage and Screen" and the award-winning "Playing God: The Bible on the Broadway Stage." He has been an invited lecturer at numerous colleges and universities and has been interviewed as an expert on Jewish representation by various media outlets including NPR’s "Morning Edition," TMZ Live, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, New York Jewish Week and Brazil’s Folha de S. Paulo. Among his prior credits in the University Theatre, he directed "Metamorphoses" (2017) and performed the role of Herr Schultz in "Cabaret" (2023). Read more from Bial's biography on the KU department website.

The University Theatre is a production wing of KU's Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. The University Theatre productions are funded in part by Student Senate fees and supported by Truity Credit Union. For more information on the University Theatre or to purchase tickets, visit the KU Theatre website.