Photo Flash: INDECENT Celebrates Opening Night at Arena Stage

Arena Stage celebrated opening night of Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel's thought-provoking play Indecent. Check out the photos below!

Inspired by the 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch's Yiddish drama The God of Vengeance, and the controversy that surrounded its themes of censorship, immigration and anti-Semitism, Vogel explores the behind-the-scenes story of the courageous artists who risked their careers and lives to perform this piece of theater under the most challenging circumstances. Infused with music that combines standards from Yiddish theater with folk traditions of the early to mid-20th century, Indecent, a co-production with Baltimore Center Stage and Kansas City Repertory, is directed by Eric Rosen, with choreography by Erika Chong Shuch and music direction and original music by Alexander Sovronsky. The production runs November 23 - December 30, 2018 in the Kreeger Theater.

Making his Arena Stage debut, Ben Cherry (Broadway's Indecent and Fiddler on the Roof) portrays the stage manager Lemml, the role he held in The Guthrie production as well. Returning to Arena are Susan Lynskey (Roe, Noises Off) as The Middle: Halina/Ensemble and Susan Rome (The Great Society, All the Way) as The Elder: Vera/Ensemble. Also making their Arena debuts are Victor Raider-Wexler (Broadway's Gypsy, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) as The Elder: Otto/Ensemble, Emily Shackelford (Off-Broadway's Lucky Duck) as The Ingenue: Chana/Ensemble, Ethan Watermeier (Les Misérables National Tour) as The Middle: Mendel/Ensemble and Max Wolkowitz (Long Wharf's The Chosen) as The Ingenue: Avram/Ensemble. The three actor/musicians are John Milosich (War Horse National Tour, Synetic Theater's Host and Guest) as Moriz Godowsky/Musician/Ensemble, Maryn Shaw (Studio Theatre's The Wolves) as Nelly Friedman/Musician/Ensemble and Alexander Sovronsky (Broadway's Cyrano de Bergerac) as Mayer Balsam/Musician/Ensemble.

Photo Credit: Cameron Whitman