Yeshiva Boys Gone Wild

Lord of the Flies

In the dungeons of Schottenstein Hall there exists a desert island populated by young savages with no supervision. Running water, palm trees, and wild animals adorn the uptown YCDS archipelago, swallowing you up upon entrance. Soon we are introduced to this band of yeshiva boys, clad in ripped clothing with some oozing blood. They split along sectarian lines - the civilized, the pathetic, and the downright violent. Some fight for power, some for their life. Shortly, two groups emerge from the struggle - the hunters and the builders, who treat each other with all the friendliness of Congress. Instead of uniting under one banner, the two camps clash in a battle for ideological supremacy, democracy or anarchy, winner take all.

The action of the play is not limited to the stage. Dr. Anthony Beukas, faculty advisor and artistic director of YCDS, once again uses the whole theater as the forum for his vision. The actors move with ease through the aisles and in between the seats to engulf the audience and create a "saliva-on" feel. The surround-vision effect is particularly successful in this production for it keeps the crowd guessing as to the source of the next peril.

The lighting was particularly impressive, truly giving one the sense of changing times of day. Moreover, the set and the lighting were used ingeniously to maximize the variation of scenes and speakers. The effect was not lost on the poetic monologue of the schizophrenic Simon (well played by Dov Pickholtz), who suddenly seems to be removed from the world of reality as he speaks of the stars' beauty. Later, Simon dies impressively from a gangland-style stabbing. Another successful effect was the use of smoke and lighting to create a mock bonfire. This fire symbolized the hope for rescue, but when it goes horribly awry, the hope dies with the flame.

Yaakov Silberman does a fine job as Ralph, the spineless "elected official" of the bunch. His character vacillates between powerful and impotent; in a sense, a caricature of leadership today.

When we are first acquainted with Ralph when he promises "Piggy" not to reveal his nickname to the others, yet he quickly reneges on this promise, and just as quickly apologizes. His speeches are flowery and promising, but he cannot handle the awesome force of a genuine bad guy. Sound familiar?

Yariv Frenkel deserves praise for his minor role as Maurice, the only guy on the island with a sense of humor. His is a David Spade-like performance in which he mocks the savage talk of the others. This wise-guy demeanor does not fare well for long, and soon after, he gets his butt kicked for it by the more militant factions amongst the youth. Aryeh Baronofsy (Eric) and Eric Norman (Sam) wonderfully portray two endearing and infantile brothers who complete each other's sentences and huddle together in their mutual fear. They are the innocent and powerless and appropriately hide behind the theater's railing for protection. Ellie Lamm's (Percival) claim to fame, is being a vessel for Beukas' obsession with blood. He staggers on stage with more holes then a sponge, but luckily for us, he recovers and later mystifies the crowd with his fascinating oral maltreatment of Simon's corpse. The supporting ensemble does justice to the sense of sway and confusion that is necessary for the play's progression. Their mob-like chants have a force and vehemence that bring dread to the soul and makes the evening worth while.

One watching the performance cannot help but be struck by the parallels between the action on stage and our society at large, especially our Jewish one. As you well know, Lord of the Flies is a translation of the Hebrew "Ba'al Z'vuv," a reference to the pagan deity Beelzebub. It follows that many of the references in the play serve as Jewish symbols as well. The conch found at the onset of the play is the symbol of democracy and order. This wind instrument heralds civility and serves as the shofar of the Island. Indeed, when the shofar's message is disregarded, chaos and death ensue. Similarly, Piggy, (brilliantly portrayed by Uriel Weisz), represents the ironically named, stereotypically zaftig, glasses-wearing Jew. His stutter-filled speech (like that of Moses) is the voice of reason, yet he is ignored and killed by the violent hunters - his death symbolizing the sacrifice of Isaac.

The hunters, lead by Jack Merridew (played by the energetic and ferocious Aaron Ganz - at times so realistic, that I thought he would bite into a member of the audience), and supported by the weirdly evil Roger (Jesse Miller), are motivated by the hunt for a pig. Once it is captured, the animal's blood is smeared on the faces of the hunters and its flesh is consumed by them all. The head of the beast becomes the group's graven image; the death chant "kill the beast, spill his blood," becomes their mantra. This crass image of the pig as a god is the epitome of the group's non-kosher behavior. Their circular dance juxtaposes the Hora on the primitive and unruly dances of a war party.

The sell-out audience was taken aback by the incredible set created by Sholom Bersson and the props men, the cast, and the musical score. It was also witness to the savagery that occurs when too many boys are cooped up together for an overextended period of time. Indeed, it was an all-too-real portrayal of what could happen here at our very own scenic and secluded Yeshiva University.