But this year's productions have included more than the usual number of holiday-themed shows never seen before, anywhere. This was not planned or coordinated; it happened because artistic directors decided on their own to create something new or - in the case of a Hannukah show and a bilingual show - something that would fill a perceived void.
Wednesday night, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins became the last of the five new shows to open, staged by the small professional company Gas & Electric Arts at the Painted Bride in Center City.
Eric Kimmel's much-loved Hanukkah story about a man who tries to win over goblins bent on ruining the holiday has been adapted for the stage before, but this is a wholly new version, created by the company's ensemble with puppetry, a klezmer quartet, original songs, and lots of physical theater. The show previewed Tuesday, the first night of the eight-day Jewish holiday.
"I identified a dearth of diverse cultural programming during the winter holidays," says Lisa Jo Epstein, Gas & Electric's artistic director, who is staging the new show. She says Hershel - a production that companies in other cities have already approached her about - "puts Hanukkah at the center of the piece but also reflects the universal themes of the holidays. It's a story that reminds us of the power of community and involves facing our inner and outer goblins, if you will."
Epstein says the current premieres are "a wonderful opportunity for Philadelphia audiences to have this rash of new works for the holidays that offer different perceptions and new experiences."
