Wheaton College stages production of Fiddler on the Roof

The Department of Theatre Studies and Dance is proud to present ,Fiddler on the Roof on April 15, 16 & 17, 22, 23 & 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weber Theatre, Watson Fine Arts. Fiddler on the Roof is based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl, book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. Produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince, Fiddler on the Roof was originally directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.

The Wheaton College production is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre David Fox with musical direction by Assistant Professor of Music Tim Harbold and choreography by Stephanie Freeman '04. David Fox spoke recently about his inspiration for directing a cast of twenty-five in this beloved classic, the first musical production at the college since A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in November, 1999. ''Any play, any work of art is bigger than itself'' Fox explains, ''by its very nature, art reverberates as metaphor--it is so much more than reality. Fiddler on the Roof goes way beyond Anatevka, Russia, 1905. It is about the persecution of minorities in whatever shtetl, ghetto, poor village or neighborhood we can imagine- anytime, anyplace. It is about the difficulty of change, the absence of loved ones, the importance of family and tradition, ethnic cleansing, a home gone forever, another forced exodus. And, perhaps most importantly, it is about the strength, the resilience, the saving grace of humor in the human spirit. In every way possible I want this production of Fiddler to accentuate the universal within the particular. The ''smaller stage'' of Anatevka must be a reflection of the ''larger stage'' of human history. These people matter because they are us.''

Tickets are $10.00 general admission and $5.00 for students and seniors. Please call the Wheaton Ticket Office to reserve seats at 508-286-3575. For directions to Wheaton, go to www.wheatoncollege.edu/About/Travel.html. For more information about arts events go to www.wheatoncollege.edu/arts and for updates and confirmations call the arts information line at 508-286-3300.

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