For As Long As The Lamp Is Burning

Author(s):
Mama believes the Nazis have stolen the mezuzah off her door post in 1990s Jerusalem. In an exploration of trauma and memory, her son Avshalom, concerned his mother should not be living on her own anymore, tries to convince her that she is mistaken.
Format: One Act
Cast Size:1M,1F
Running Time: 50 minutes
Character breakdown:

MAMA, FEMALE, 75.She is a German-born, Jewish Holocaust survivor living in Jerusalem in 1998. She lived a life of privilege in Berlin as a young girl prior to Kristallnacht, and suffers from trauma from her wartime experiences.

AVSHALOM BRAVERMANN, MALE, 42. He is an Israeli-born auto mechanic living in Ramle, Israel with his schoolteacher wife and son.

AVSHALOM is the son of MAMA and never fails to disappoint MAMA’s impossible expectations.

Snapshot

Original Source Material: Original source material: Adapted from the short story “For As Long As The Lamp is Burning,” from The Ascent of Eli Israel and other stories, Arcade, 2002
Nationality of Author: Canadian | U.S.
Original Language: English
Production Rights Holder:

Study guides or support material: The original short story “For As Long As The Lamp Is Burning,” Arcade, 2002

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