The 1971 musical drama “Fiddler on the Roof” follows a poor Jewish milkman named Tevye living in the little Russian village of Anatevka. While struggling in the face of religious persecution growing in Czarist Russia, Tevye and his community navigate themes of cultural values, family, and most importantly: tradition. This musical has resonated with thousands, and from February 27 to March 1, NVD brought the emotional story of Tevye the milkman to its stage. 

Not only is this a historically important musical, but it is not a typical choice for an NVD production. Tackling sensitive topics such as antisemitism, religion, gender roles, and cultural traditions, the director of this production, David Marconi, took current world issues into consideration while deciding to put on this show. 

“The show, I think, is very timely. There are themes of not only displacement, but also xenophobia, and I think that right now that is a big part of the goings on in the world, and I think there’s a message here that’s important to kind of show on stage,” Marconi said.

Because of the significance of this musical, actors have learned how to navigate their characters and who they are in order to correctly portray them and send a powerful message. Junior student actor Shiri Avissar, who played Golde, dives into her archetype as a frustrated mother and woman in Judaism:

“It’s really interesting, especially because in Judaism a lot of modern traditions are inherently misogynistic. There is a lot of misogyny and sexism and divide between men and women, not just in Judaism, but also in the show itself. So I think having a strong female character who doesn’t back down, but is still traditional and true to herself, and true to her religion is a very powerful thing to show on stage,” Avissar said.

Junior Student actor Liam Weill, who plays Tevye, explains how he connects with his character:

“I found myself going back and reading the script again and again, and going to the parts about family. Tevye is 100% a family man, and he’s like, ‘I would do anything for my daughters.’ 
And I have that feeling towards other family members, and other people in my life. The same way that I would do anything for them, Tevye would also do anything for his family,” Weill said.

The show’s themes of breaking tradition touch audiences through depicting the heartbreak and struggle that many people still experience from having to choose between their faith and their family. When Tzeitzel, Tevye’s oldest daughter, decides to marry the man she loves, instead of marrying the man her father tells her to, she inspires her sisters Hodel and Chava to make their own marriage choices as well. Junior student actor Jorydn Patnoi, who played Tzeitel, describes how she views her strong character. 

“Exploring my character has been really cool, because she is the oldest sister and I’m actually the youngest sibling in my family. So, it was kind of inspiring, seeing how an older sibling takes care of her younger sisters,” Patnoi said. “Obviously, she was playing fun during ‘Matchmaker,’ but she was kind of warning them like ‘Hey, this is what I have to deal with and what you’re going to have to deal with soon, and I just want to, you know, prepare you for that.” 

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Hodel, the second oldest daughter, decides to marry a radical Jewish student named Perchik, abandoning her goal of marrying the Rabbi’s son. Contrary to Tzeitel, Hodel does not ask for permission, but simply informs her father after they are engaged. Sophomore student actor Romy Barak, who played Hodel, describes her process of connecting with her character:

“I feel like it’s very important to keep your characters that you play still a part of you. You can play them mad, you can play them angry, you can play them more sad, you can play them as a very jolly happy person, but it still needs to be you. So even if you are a 17 year old playing a full on 55 year old man, the personality that you’re giving off to the audience should still be a part of you- you’re just showing those different emotions,” Barak said.

Like her other two sisters, Tevye’s middle child Chava marries an unlikely suitor, however, her choice of a husband is seen as a disgrace. Marrying out of the religion, this is an unforgivable action to Tevye, leading to him disowning his daughter and leaving her behind, along with the town of Anatevka they have fled. Junior student actor Juliette Crosnier, who played Chava, describes the process of developing that scene.

“Mr Marconi had me imagine that it was me and my dad [in the scene], and that I was being disowned by my own father… I remember that day in rehearsal I sobbed for like 20 minutes. And during the shows all I had to do was look at my dad in the crowd and seeing him cry would just get me every time,” Crosnier said. “Ironically, the screaming and falling to the floor isn’t even in the script. I just wanted to milk that moment as much as possible and I really just went ham with the drama when we first did it and then it worked.”

As an extremely traditional and religious father, Tevye’s decision to disown his daughter was one that hit audiences strongly. Not only has he betrayed many of his values, but now- along with the rest of his losses- Tevye must leave his daughter behind with the town of Anatevka. 

“It’s a very emotional part. I had a 5 to 10 minute talk with Mr. Marconi, and he said ‘imagine- if you had a child- you actually saying, ‘You’re dead to me.’ Imagine how hard that would physically be to say that to your child. Then it really hit me, and I really understood the magnitude of not only that line, but that whole sequence,” Weill said.

After his daughters decide to disregard their father’s wishes for their suitors, this breaks the cultural tradition of giving the fathers the power of choosing the husband, making Tevye question himself, and his faith.

“It’s not just tradition, it’s about what happens to you as a person and to your community when you think the world is a certain way, and then the world sort of shifts beneath your feet, and how do you adapt, and how do you go on, and what things can you say, okay, we can roll with these punches, and what other things are just too much for you? And that’s very much Tevye’s story. You see that play out, not only with him, but also with his community, but through him,” Marconi said.

One of the most emotional scenes of the musical is when all of the townspeople of Anatevka get kicked out of their homes. Abandoning their homes and history, the audience is moved by this sad story. While not many have experienced this tragedy, its message seems to resonate with many. 

“I think [the most emotional scene] was probably Anatevka…I feel like the theater department here is a second home, I basically live here. But it’s like, what do we leave? What do I leave?
I leave the people, and I leave my mark here, everything like that. That’s very emotional,” Patnoi said.