**** Highly Recommended Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic, a Northlight Theatre co-production with Theater Wit, is an exceptional family drama which spans 70 years. This is not a short story, so it runs a bit long, three acts with two intermissions. I’ve had a hard time writing a review because this is an excellent play, but I didn’t become emotionally involved and I’m not sure why. 4 Spotlights
The setting is a beautiful apartment in Paris, occupied by the French-Jewish Saloman family, in the present and in 1944. It’s a bit confusing when the story goes back in time, but it does become clearer as the story progresses. The Salomans, who have owned a piano shop for five generations, have occupied this same apartment for that same amount of time.
Marcelle Saloman (Janet Ulrich Brooks), her Algerian-born husband, Charles Benhamou (Rom Barkhordar) and their two children, Elodie (Rae Gray) and Daniel (Max Stewart) live in the apartment in the present. As the story opens, Marcelle welcomes Molly (Maya Lou Hlava), a distant cousin, for a visit. While a student in France, Molly decided to look up her distant relatives. Marcelle’s brother, Patrick (Lawrence Grimm), often visits.
Back in 1944, Adolphe Saloman (Torrey Hanson) and his wife Irma (Kathy Scambiatterra) are waiting and hoping for news of their children. Their daughter got out of Paris before the Germans and ended up in Cuba. Their sons and families were arrested.
Back in the present day Daniel, a university student is attacked on his way home from classes, just because he’s Jewish. Enraged, Charles announces that he’s ready to leave. He wants to move the family to Israel.
Marcelle is having none of that. She’s got other concerns, Molly comes back to Paris every weekend and she’s entirely too interested in Daniel. Then there’s her problem child, Elodie.
Also appearing: Nathan Becker (Young Pierre Saloman), Henson Keys (Pierre Saloman) and Ale Weisman (Lucien Saloman).
Prayer for the French Republic was written by Joshua Harmon. It premiered Off-Broadway in 2022, winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. It opened on Broadway in 2024. This co-production is directed by Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit Artistic Director.
A free series of curated talks and convenings with experts in Jewish history is ongoing throughout the Chicago area through May 9th. The series, City Talk: A Series of Conversations on Assimilation, Antisemitism and Culture, is presented by Theater Wit, in collaboration with the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies at Northwestern and Northlight Theatre. Advance registration is required. For more information, visit www.citytalkchicago.org/.
Prayer for the French Republic, a Northlight Theatre co-production with Theater Wit, has been extended through May 25th at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. Parking is free. Running time is about two hours, 20 minutes, with an intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:30 pm; Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:30 & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Tickets range from $49-$91. FYI (847) 673-6300 or www.northlight.org.