Sunday October 18, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Join us for a preshow conversation with Jewish Religion and Literature scholar, Dr. Judith Baskin facilitated by Hester Kamin. The two will discuss the life and artistic contributions of Bella Chagall. An artist in her own right, Bella’s work is often overshadowed by that of her husband. Where do we see Bella’s creative contributions in Jewish history and culture?
Hester’s pre-show conversations are a Theater J favorite! Join us to discuss the themes of our plays and how they relate to our own experiences and the issues of our times. Pre-show conversations are a great way to meet other theater fans and thinkers and to be ready to engage with the play more deeply.
Dr. Judith Baskin, Phillip H. Knight Professor of Humanities Emerita, retired from the University of Oregon in 2017. Professor Baskin earned her Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University. She is the author or editor of 9 books including Women of the Word: Jewish Women and Jewish Writing, and the introduction in later editions of Bella Chagall’s, Burning Lights. Her co-edited volume, The Cambridge Survey of Jewish History, Religion, and Culture, received a National Jewish Book Award in 2012. Dr. Baskin was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles.
Hester Kamin is the Education Programs Manager at Theater J. She’s a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Ecole Jacques Lecoq, and the Fred Rogers Institute and has served as Director of Education of six theaters around the US and as Co-Artistic Director of touring Drama Ties Theatre in Paris. Hester has also directed and choreographed more than 200 shows with professional actors and students around the world and been honored with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists National Award, the Academy of Paris Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture, and, most recently, an Art Works Award from the National Endowment for the Arts for her play about Holocaust survivor Sabine Van Dam, In Flight. Hester is a member of Actors Equity Association, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and the Dramatists Guild of America.
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