Tales of Chelm: To Catch a Thief

“To Catch a Thief” explores the friendship that inadvertently blossoms between Gedaliah the Goniff and Zalman Shlomo the Gate Keeper. Told entirely through puppetry, the episode opens with Gedaliah stealing a coin purse from Reb Fishel, the town mayor. Zalman Shlomo attempts to pursue Gedaliah, only to be tricked by him in a variety of idiotic ways. As the narrative progresses, Gedaliah’s plans to evade Shlomo become increasingly ridiculous.

The JArtsTM TheatreWorks production of Tales of Chelm is based on the  book  “The Wise Folk of Chelm,” by Semour Rossel. Adaptors Jesse Garlick and Dori Robinson approach classic Jewish folktales through a modern lens in Tales of Chelm, reimagined by JArts Theatreworks. Composed of four segments, Tales of Chelm utilizes innovate performance techniques, such as puppets, masks and clowning, to tell the stories of the people of Chelm— Eastern European villagers who considered themselves uniquely wise, and whose antics have been amusing us since the sixteenth century. Learn how the town of Chelm came to be, follow along as they attempt the seemingly impossible, and discover why Jewish culture has rendered these stories immortal. Zany fun for all ages!