The Grüb
A theatrical diptych set in a woman’s bedroom and an underground pit, The Grüb (Yiddish for grave) tells a story of hiding across generations. The play explores the rhythms of survival in these two worlds—the surreal existence of a family living in a pitch black hole dug under a barn to escape a genocidal fascist regime, and the inheritance of darkness in a woman’s pursuit of pleasure in a light-filled urban apartment. Set against backdrops of wildly different political circumstances with janky English to Yiddish translation and a mix of clown, melodrama, and vérité, the play is a meditation on the sensations of confinement and the possibilities for multi-generational relief.
Conceived, written and directed by Johanna Kasimow, co-written and performed by Eva Steinmetz and Alex Tatarsky
In development, supported by HATCH AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE Residency, 2021