In Conversation with Joseph Sherman | All is Good.. In the Glow of Moonlight
- TW
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
In this week's Backstage Blog, we get to chat with Joseph Sherman, one of the co-creators of upcoming show All is Good.. In the Glow of Moonlight!
Isaac Babel born in 1894 Odesa ,executed in 1940 Moscow
From the “ Dusty Talmuds” of his childhood, seduced by Flaubert and Maupassaunt , fatally attracted by the barbaric nobility and at the same moment repulsed by the cruelty of the Soviet Cossack mercenary- through the upheavals of the Bolshevik revolution,he becomes a great writer and a threat to Stalin’s utopian nightmare.
Unsettled by current events, he returns by train ,under cover of music and moonlight, along with one of his famous creations- Benya Krik, the pre-eminent jewish gangster of Odesa’s Moldavanka, known simply as The King , who sufferred a fate not unlike his creator. They want to do what they can to help…
Coming to Explosives Factory soon, from 25 June - 5 July! As said by Arjun Rajkhowa, "This is a unique and unusual project in that it blurs the boundaries between conversation and performance". Keep reading to get all the insider information about the creation of this unique show.
Q. What should audiences expect when they come to see All is Good.. in the Glow of Moonlight?
A. Definitely the unexpected. A strange and musical purgatory world which a dead writer, Issac Babel, inhabits with one of his famous and troubled characters Benya Krik- jewish gangster King of Odessa. Benya is much changed and is asking difficult questions.
They are at an impasse and looking for a way to move on..
Q. What inspired you to create this work? Did you have sources that you drew a lot of your creativity from?
A. Isaac Babel was a Russian speaking, jewish, soviet writer from Odessa, Ukraine and a literary giant of the short story genre.
At the height of his powers in 1939 he was arrested and executed in 1940. Contradiction, inner struggles and an unquenchable curiosity come close to describing his life story and personality. His stories reflect this and his spare and chiselled use of language creates an alchemy of documentary observation,the absurd, comedy and poetry. We also share the love for our birth city of Odessa.
So much to be inspired by!
Q. What is the importance of the music in this show? What was the process like to interweave music and text?
A. Music is like magic and the musician has the superpower of transporting us, by passing the intellect, straight to the imagination and emotion.
In this show it transports us to the streets of 1920s Odessa and to the human tragedy of oppression by a tyrannical state- Stalinist or otherwise.
Interweaving music with the text was a joy because of the inherent rhythmic quality of the language which we have accentuated by writing most of the script in verse. Simon's talent and experience in Jazz improvisation allowed us trial and error as we moved from page to stage.
Q. What do you hope the audience take away after seeing All is Good.. in the Glow of Moonlight?
A. Feel in their bones the accidental miracle and privilege of being alive in this indifferent universe
and to express that through compassion for yourself, others and for the planet.
That is probably a little ambitious and I would settle for people feeling more warmth in their soul then before they came to see the show.
Q. What has been the most memorable moment during this process?
A. The most memorable moments in the creative process are the ones that feel effortless after working and finding them.
Don't miss out on this incredible show! Tickets are on sale now!! Use the link below to secure your seats before they sell out.
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