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The Chosen
Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok (adapted from the novel by Chaim Potok)
Opening Date:
March 21, 2008
Closing Date:
April 12, 2008
Brooklyn, 1944. Two gifted Jewish teenagers from different worlds meet as bitter rivals on a baseball field. Reuven Malter is the son of an open-minded scholar, while Danny Saunders is expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, a revered Hasidic leader. When an accident brings the boys together, an unlikely friendship begins—one that challenges their beliefs, transforms their relationships with their fathers, and shapes their futures. Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from Potok's acclaimed novel and directed by Brenda Williams.
Cast & Crew
CAST
Reuven Malter and Others — Joe DiBello
Young Reuven Malter — Matthew Minor
Reb Saunders — Terry Masters
David Malter — Jon Womastek
Danny Saunders — Mark Fairchild
CREW
Director — Brenda Williams
Set design, scenic artist — Josh Cain
Costume design — Danyel Siler
Lighting design, sound engineer — Kyle Watson
Stage manager, lightboard — Taylor Reich
Sound operator — Tom Gibson
Scenic artists — Nick Backes, Rhonda Clark
Properties, website photography — Rhonda Clark
Dialect and language coach — Anna Holloway
Poster and advertising design — Jonathan Siler
CST webmasters — Don Lusk, Phil Carlton
CST STAFF
Artistic Director: Rhonda Clark; Box Office Manager: Vicky Zipf; Technical Director: Josh Cain
Production Notes
Presented March 21–April 12, 2008, directed by Brenda Williams. Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from Potok's 1967 novel. Five-member cast: Joe DiBello (adult Reuven Malter and Others), Matthew Minor (Young Reuven Malter), Terry Masters (Reb Saunders), Jon Womastek (David Malter), Mark Fairchild (Danny Saunders). The original webpage misspells 'Young Rueven'; the archive normalizes to Reuven. The story is told as adult Reuven's memories beginning in 1944 Brooklyn: an injury during a baseball game leads to a friendship between an Orthodox Jewish teenager and a Hasidic teenager. Over four years they navigate differing traditions, fathers, religious scholarship, Zionism, and their own aspirations. The source identifies the novel's National Book Award nomination, its 1981 film adaptation, and the Posner/Potok stage adaptation's 1999 debut. Brenda Williams previously directed Tiger Lady and acted in Enchanted April and Sordid Lives. Anna Holloway, previously in Picnic, was dialect and language coach. Cast sponsors: Nancy Dawson, Jane Faulkner, Linda Manaugh. Special thanks: Jeffrey Meek, Terry Veal, Kris Schinske, Jessa Schinske, Tom Harrington, Courtroom Video. Nine original photos credited to Rhonda Clark. No opening-night party sponsor specified. Supplemental descriptions of a four-actor ensemble are inconsistent with the original five-person cast list. A March 21, 2008 Oklahoman photo collection is a research lead; no specific contemporary review has been verified.
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