Theater

Widely recognized as one of the most esteemed theater directors working today, Gordon Edelstein at one time considered becoming a rabbi. That was in the early 1970s, when he was a religious studies major at Grinnell College in Iowa.

One might expect that playwright Wendy Graf’s new work, “Behind the Gates,” which brings to light abuse of women she found to be rampant among Jerusalem’s Charedi community, would prompt angry articles, letters to the editor or outraged public protests denying the image that she presents of the ultra-Orthodox. While Graf has fielded some strong objections to airing the dirty laundry in public for fear of inciting anti-Semitism, the truth of what she portrays has not been challenged, and the production has so far not been met with pickets or violent confrontation. “There has been none of that,” said Graf in a recent interview, “and I’m disappointed.”

It remains an enduring puzzle why, in a city of more than half a million Jews, where Jewish money supports every form of artistic expression and Hollywood overflows with Jewish talent, the city\’s sole Jewish theater struggles to survive from season to season.

At the Geffen Playhouse recently, David Arquette twisted off his gold wedding ring to reveal the inscription he shares with his wife, Courtney Cox: “A deal’s a deal. 6-12-1999.” The ornate script recalls the couple’s marriage in a multifaith ceremony in which Arquette broke a glass to honor his Jewish mother.