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After a six year sojourn
in Richmond, Virginia where he served as co-artistic
director of The Richmond Performing Arts Collective,
Motl returned to New York City. Just a few months
after returning, he serendipitously saw a flier
advertising a “Free One-Hour Instant Yiddish Class”
offered by The Workmen’s Circle. He went on to study
in the YIVO Uriel Weinreich summer course in 2003 at
Columbia University. That summer he began
volunteering at The National Yiddish Theatre –
Folksbiene. The first of these events was the annual
gala at the 92nd Street Y. At the gala,
he heard Zalmen Mlotek deliver a speech in which he
expressed the need for a comprehensive outreach
program. At the reception, following the event, Motl
approached Mr. Mlotek and informed him that he would
deliver this program.
When a staff position
became available at the Folksbiene that fall, Motl
was brought on board and immediately began raising
funds and making contacts. The first opportunity for
a show came in the form of an all-male Purim Shpiel
called “Di Gantse Megile”, performed one time only
for an orthodox synagogue in Staten Island. The show
was, by all accounts, a mess. But the audience
enjoyed it and the Folksbiene was invited back the
next year. This began a long journey, in which the
Purim Shpiel would play a central role.
The following summer
Motl began to organize a group of performers in
their twenties and thirties who learned Yiddish as a
second language. The group was called "Di Folksbiene
Trupe". The troupe toured the Northeast with a
Yiddish language musical revue called “Mama’s Loshn
Kugel”. The troupe's performances were very well
received, and there was demand for a second show. In
2006, The troupe added a second musical revue called
“Makht a Tsimes”, which included original material
by Miryem-Khaye Seigel, Leizer Burko and Motl
Didner. In 2012, The troupe added a Khanike-themed
show titled “Heyse Latkes” to its repertoire. The
troupe plans a 2014 launch of a new musical based on
the Sholem Aleykhem “Kasrilevke” stories.
Early directing and
acting projects at the Folksbiene included staged
readings of “Motke Ganev”, 2004; “Der
Tsurikgekumener”, 2004; “Bronx Express”, 2005 and
“Bar Kokhba”, 2005.
In 2006 Motl began to
produce a series of readings and concerts at The
City University of New York with the sponsorship of
CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. These events
toured campuses throughout the city, including
Hunter College, Baruch College, Queens College,
Brooklyn College and Lehman College. In the
inaugural season of the Folksbiene@CUNY series, Motl
Didner co-created an original Purim Shpiel with
Miryem-Khaye Seigel, titled “Purim in Khelm”. Over
the years, the series would include readings of
“Gimpl Tam”, “The Adventures of Hershele Ostropolyer”
and “The Megile of Itzik Manger”, all of which would
go on to be produced on the Folksbiene mainstage. Other
highlights include “The Yiddish Radio Hour” and
“Love, Labor, Loss”, as well as the concert series
“New Voices of the Yiddish Stage”, “Soul to Soul”
and “Notes From the Underground” and staged readings
of literary classics such as “Dos Groyse Gevins” by
Sholem Aleykhem; “Mayn Tatns Beys-Din Shtib” based
on the writings of I. B. Singer; “Der Dybbuk” by Sh.
An-Sky; and “Der Mama’s Shabosim” based on the
writings of Khayim Grade.
Motl’s first mainstage
directing credit was “Di Ksube” in the 2007-2008
season. This Israeli comedy with music was written
by Ephraim Kishon and translated into Yiddish by
Israel Beker. The production was vey well
received. The New York Times called it “keen of eye
and light of heart”, with a “warm, wise core”.
During the 2008-2009
season, Motl was the assistant director to Moshe
Yassur and appeared on stage as Der Shotn in “Gimpl
Tam”. Later that year, Motl directed “Di Pushcart
Pedlers” a Yiddish translation of Murray Schisgal’s
one-act play as part of a triptych titled “Shpiel!
Shpiel! Shpiel!”.
In 2010, Motl directed
“Fyvush Finkel Live!” which was nominated for a
Drama Desk Award in the category of “Outstanding
Musical Revue”. That year he also partnered with
composer Dmitri Zisl Slepovitch and choreographer
Rebecca Warner to create “Di Tsvey Brider” a
dance-theater performance based on the poetry of I,
L. Peretz.
In 2013, Motl directed a
landmark production of “The Megile of Itzik Manger”
with choreography by Merete Meunter and production
design by Jenny Romaine, which was highly praised
both in the press and by Megile composer Dov
Seltzer.
Motl Didner leads a
workshop titled, “From the Page to the Stage” during
“A Rayze Keyn Yiddishland” at Circle Lodge for one
week each summer. He serves on the board of
directors of the Yiddish Actors and Friends Artists
Club and has served on the National Executive Board
of the Workmen’s Circle / Arbeter Ring.
Motl lives in Brooklyn
with his wife Danielle “Elize-Rokhl” Dorter and
their two daughters Natalie “Nekhomele” and Maya
“Mine-Shulamis”.
Sh.
E. from Motl Didner. |
