Indecent
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Indecent

By Paula Vogel Directed by Shana Cooper Original Broadway Production Conceived and Directed by Rebecca Taichman Score and Original Music by Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva American Revolutions
July 4 – October 27, 2019 Angus Bowmer Theatre
Multimedia Suitability and Accessibility The Artists The Venue
Multimedia Suitability and Accessibility The Artists The Venue

Art in a time of chaos

A spirited and revolutionary love story that celebrates Yiddish language and literature, Indecent charts the real-life controversy surrounding Sholem Asch’s play God of Vengeance, and the Jewish artists who faced persecution when bringing it to Broadway in 1923.

This OSF American Revolutions commission by Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel returns home after acclaimed productions across the country, including a Tony-winning run on Broadway. Directed by Shana Cooper (Julius Caesar, The Unfortunates), this story reminds us of the joint power and legacy of culture, a heart-stirring affirmation of the impact of art in a time of chaos.

Length: Approximately 1 hour, 49 minutes.

Development of Indecent was supported by grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

Indecent was produced by the Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director; Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director; Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell, Executive Director) New York City, Spring, 2016

Originally produced by Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) and La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, California (Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director; Michael S. Rosenberg, Managing Director)

Indecent under the then title of "The Vengeance Project" was developed, in part, at the 2013 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at the Sundance Resort

Indecent was commissioned by Oregon Shakespeare Festival as part of American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle, and by Yale Repertory Theatre.

Inspired by The People vs. The God of Vengeance, Conceived by Rebecca Rugg and Rebecca Taichman

#IndecentOSF

Sponsors

  • SPONSORS
  • Amy and Mort Friedkin
  • The Hobbes Family
  • Thomas Castle and Pamela Howard
  • Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson
  • PARTNERS
  • Lynne Carmichael
  • The Almondleaf Trust
  • Julian and Willie Sue Orr
  • Emily Simon and Mary Ann Gernegliaro in honor of Doris and Ken Simon
Suitability Suggestions

The play contains a good deal of sensuality, and the play-within-a-play is set in a brothel. It covers a 50-year span of time, beginning at the start of the 20th century, highlighting the controversy surrounding the first same-sex kiss on Broadway in 1923, and ending up in the Warsaw Ghetto and concentration camps of World War II. Best suited for mature students prepared to handle mature themes.

Creative Team

Alex Mallory
FAIR Assistant Director

* Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA)
** AEA Professional Theatre Intern

Cast

Ensemble: Rebecca S'Manga Frank*, Linda Alper*, William DeMeritt*, Anthony Heald*, Benjamin Pelteson*, Shayna Blass*, Aaron Galligan-Stierle*

* Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA)

** AEA Professional Theatre Intern

Musicians

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Angus Bowmer Theatre

From its inception, the Angus Bowmer Theatre has welcomed our patrons with the graciousness of the man for whom it was named, OSF’s founder Angus L. Bowmer. The immediacy between company and audience members in this space allows for theatrical voyages of human discovery, guided by some of the world’s greatest classical and contemporary playwrights. The theatre seats 600, and quite seriously, there is no bad seat in the house.

For the 2025 season, the Angus Bowmer Theatre vom (the entrance/exit passageways for actors) on house right will not be in use and thus available for seating.

Our 2019 Season