Strawdog Theatre HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS

We enter The Edge Theater on an evening in December. It’s chilly outside, and inside it also feels like a chilly winter’s evening. It’s a barren landscape with skeletal trees painted on the walls. Worn and torn suitcases and other pieces of luggage are placed in stacks around the stage. It’s far from a cozy evening by the fire, but soon the atmosphere warms as a troupe of actors take the stage. They happily smile at us and offer to entertain us before the show. They tell jokes, perform magic tricks, and play limbo gleefully with each other. In this way, we ease into the start of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins as this traveling acting troupe prepares to move to their next destination.

Strawdog Brings Us Another Holiday Story This Season

They begin their official show with a bit of music. One by one they each pop out of a suitcase clown car style playing an assortment of musical instruments. However, no one offers them any money at the end of their performance and so they decide to try their luck in the next spot.

There our leader of the troupe, Hershel (Jordan Zelvin) tells the story of their grandfather, Hershel of Ostropol, and how he helped a village rekindle their Hanukkah spirit by defeating the evil Hanukkah hating goblins.

It’s not a grinch stealing Christmas trees, a cloudy night preventing Santa from flying, or other stories that threaten Christmas you might go out and see this holiday season. Instead, we’re treated to a Hanukkah story that incorporates Hanukkah songs and traditions with a light hearted story attached to it.

Puppet Wizardry

Here’s the story—

Hershel sits in the abandoned synagogue each night of Hanukkah, lighting that night’s candle and waits for the goblins to appear to try and stop him. As each day of Hanukkah passes, these tricky goblins seem to grow bigger and more elaborate. One starts as a small sock puppet easily dismissed. Then more and more goblins appear as everything from a guitar painted with scowling eyes to five suitcases with umbrellas for wings flying above Hershel’s head. The cast creates these goblins from everything on the stage that we thought were just piles of junk!

Then the room stills. The wind sounds like it’s blowing through cracks in this old synagogue. A figure emerges from the dark shadowy corner. It rises to its full height, seemingly eight feet tall. It’s the goblin king and our eyes move back and forth between him and Hershel wondering if he will be able to defeat the final goblin challenge and save Hanukkah after all!

Quick Night of Fun

The runtime of Hershel is a mere sixty minutes and coupling that with a lively cast and creative puppets, this would be a good fit for those with young ones. For those a little older, it would also be a good fit if you’re looking for a not so run of the mill holiday show.

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CREATIVE TEAM:

Caitlin McLeod (Scenic Designer, Co-Puppet Designer), Rain Foiles (Costume Designer), Conchita Avitia (Lighting Designer), Daniel Etti-Williams (Sound Designer), Rocio Cabrera (Props Designer, Co-Puppet Designer), Amanda Crockett (Choreographer), Karissa Murrell Myers* (Casting Director), Stephanie Diaz (Puppetry Consultant), Catherine Miller (Cultural Consultant), Lily Anna Berman (Assistant Director), Donna Gary (Production Manager), Jordan Large (Technical Director), Paul Cook* (Lead Electrician) and Anna Vu (Assistant Stage Manager).

About the Author: Alexis Bugajski

Alexis is a theater reviewer, travel bug, media specialist, and burger & beer enthusiast. During the day she works in the advertising business as a senior communications designer. When night falls, or when she can escape to New York, she’s hitting the theaters to see as many shows as she can. And whenever she’s not at her desk or in the audience, she’s out seeking the best burger and beer offerings in Chicago.

Editor's Note: Click here to read more Picture this Post articles by Alexis Bugajski