Renowned artist Marc Chagall had an equally talented wife. He and his wife Bella, who was a poet, inspired each other through the Russian Revolution, pogroms, and two world wars. Northlight Theatre is telling their story in “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” Sept.
5-Oct. 6 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Performances of the play by Daniel Jamieson, with music by Ian Ross, are 7:30 p.
m. Tuesday (Sept. 10 only), 1 p.
m. and 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. most Thursdays and Fridays, most 2:30 p.
m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.
m. most Sundays. “It’s such an unusual piece of theater,” said Elizabeth Margolius, stage and movement director.
“Most of us know who Marc Chagall is. His work is so iconic and so prolific. But Bella, I knew nothing about.
I was so interested to learn that she was just as much of an artist as he was and most of the work he did was her inspiration. They were like-minded souls.” Margolius was attracted to the focus and theme of the show.
“I loved that it was a story about the two of them,” she said. “And it’s a story about what it means to be an artist.” Emma Rosenthal plays artist Marc Chagall’s equally-talented wife Bella in “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” Sept.
5-Oct. 6 at Northlight Theatre. (Emma Rosenthal) In casting the role of Bella, Margolius said, “I wanted an actress that could portray the layers of the character.
” Emma Rosenthal, who was cast in the role is “an incred.