Prayer for a French Republic opened its doors to public audiences on February 1st, 2022 to much anticipation.
We were able to catch a press preview of Joshua Harmon’s new play this past Saturday at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and left the show thoroughly moved. Read on to find out why theatergoers should put this new production on their must-see lists…
A cross-generational saga of French Jews living in Paris since the early medieval ages, Prayer for a French Republic focuses on the Salomon family living in 2016 Paris during the wake of Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher supermarket seige, concerned about rising hate crimes and considering if their beloved home is still safe for them. Flashback to their great-grandparents living in their Paris apartment during the Holocaust, who miraculously avoided being rounded up by the police but live everyday shrouded in uncertainty, without a word on their children’s whereabouts and safety. Both these generations face the same harrowing question, 70 years apart, that no one should ever have to ask: are we safe in the only home we’ve ever known?
Joshua Harmon, acclaimed playwright of Bad Jews and Significant Other fame, teamed up with Tony Award-winning director David Cromer to bring this thought-provoking piece to life and to New York audiences for its world premiere. In the center of the revolving set, the Salomon family’s motivic ancestral piano strikingly represents their legacy in Paris while visually tying the stage together and serving as a musical accompaniment to and plot device in many scenes. From Takeshi Kata’s revolving set to Amith Chandrashaker’s stunningly realistic window lighting displays, every detail on the production of this play complements the story and is a testament to the expert craft of the production team.
Many Americans remain unaware of or have forgotten the anti-semitic climate of Paris around the time of Trump’s election – Prayer for a French Republic highlights this climate through a fictional first-hand account, drawn from Harmon’s experiences living in France at the time this play is set. Although this play illustrates one family and one community experiencing prejudice, the feelings of unpredictability and fear of the worst were constant in all marginalized communities during the Trump era, and reverberations are still felt today across the globe. Harmon’s play reminds us that even though the pain we felt in 2016 might feel as layered over in 2022 as a fresh blanket of snow in New York after 48 hours, it had profound effects on families and individuals and cannot be forgotten. As earlier generations have always imparted up us, we need to keep these stories alive to prevent repeating the worst parts of history.
Prayer for a French Republic started shows from February 1st, 2020 at Manhattan Theatre Club. It runs for 3 hours with 2 intermissions, and tickets are available here now: https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2021-2022/prayer-for-the-french-republic/
