Chicago Jewish Theater Cancels Play by Israeli Author, Citing Staff Refusal

The Ars Judaica Jewish theater in Chicago has unexpectedly canceled the production of a play by Israeli author and playwright Naomi Ragen, just one week before a contract was to be signed. The decision followed pressure from actors and crew members who refused to work with the Israeli creator, a move Ragen criticized as succumbing to a boycott.

Elaine, the manager of the Ars Judaica theater, informed Ragen of the cancellation. The play had previously been staged at Israel's Habima National Theatre. The contract was set to be signed after advanced negotiations, but the theater cited the refusal of actors, directors, and designers to collaborate with Ragen as the reason for the cancellation.

These staff members reportedly justified their refusal by labeling Ragen a "Zionist Jew and a professional Israeli." They claimed that working with her could jeopardize their professional futures and even accused the manager of racism for intending to stage the play. The manager noted that while she herself was born around the time of Israel's establishment and has supported it, and the theater has previously staged plays on sensitive topics like suicide bombings without opposition, "the world is going crazy" now. She expressed regret and hope for future collaboration when tensions subside.

In response, Ragen compared the situation to Germany in 1938. She attacked the theater's management, stating that a Jewish institution afraid to produce a play about Jewish women forfeits its right to exist. Ragen argued that the management should have replaced the actors who refused to work with Jews instead of yielding to pressure. She asserted that a cultural institution in the United States unable to protect its artists and withstand antisemitic pressure should be shut down entirely.