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 incredible mover. We’re doing some very complicated moves in this piece,” the director said. Margolius also needed a strong actor and singer.
“I was looking for a triple threat and that is definitely Emma,” the director said. Rosenthal admitted that, although she was very familiar with Marc Chagall, she knew nothing about his wife Bella before she accepted the role. “After I got the role, I went down a real rabbit hole to try and find out as much as I could about her,” Rosenthal said.
“Their love story is sweeping and beautiful and lush. And they were absolutely partners in every sense of the word but she was sort of lost to history.” The actor learned that Bella was a brilliant and gifted student in Russia and that she studied acting with acclaimed Russian theater director Stanislavsky in Moscow.
“She was an incredibly prolific writer and poet,” Rosenthal added. The actor was able to read copies of her work. “I find her fascinating,” she said.
It’s a challenging role, requiring the actor to sing in French, German, Yiddish, and Russian, as well as in English. Another challenge, she noted, is playing someone who actually existed. “Even though Bella is long gone, you want to do right by her.
It’s a really exciting challenge,” she said. Director Margolius also sought a triple threat to play Marc Chagall. Jack Cahill-Lemme filled the bill.
“He’s got a stunning voice and is an actor who can really dig into this character who’s very complicated,” she said. “And he’s a great mover, too.” Although Cahill-Lemme said he was familiar with Marc Chagall’s work, “I wasn’t familiar with the unbelievable obstacles and sacrifices that went into making that art possible,” he said.
“His story is exceptional. These two survived some of the most perilous events of the 20th century and the darkest events in Jewish history.” Through preparing for the role, Cahill-Lemme discovered, “The Chagall story is the story of two unwavering and ingenious artists and what it took to get them to where they went.
” “It’s a very smartly written piece and this production is going to be incredible, I think,” Cahill-Lemme said. Margolius said that this is “one of the most complicated pieces I’ve ever approached directorially. There are so many layers to the direction.
There are these sweeping moments of creating these Chagall paintings without ever seeing a Chagall painting. There are a lot of pieces to this.” Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
‘The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk’ When: Sept. 5-Oct. 6 Where: Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd.
, Skokie Tickets: $35-$91; $15 student tickets Information: 847-673-6300; northlight.org.
