The Camp, one of the newest works by South Florida playwright Michael McKeever, will enjoy its world-premiere production at the Levis JCC in Boca Raton just months after it debuted as a one-night-only staged reading at Lynn University.
The play is set in Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Its title refers to the remnants of a concentration camp on the outskirts of a small village, whose elders—so-called “good Germans”—looked the other way while the Holocaust commenced beside them. Written with pointed, vividly descriptive dialogue by McKeever, the play addresses the complicity of average citizens during the rise of Fascism, a theme he found particularly timely.
The Camp provides the thought-provoking linchpin of the JCC’s 2017-2018 theater season, when it runs for 12 performances from Nov. 30 – Dec. 17. Produced in conjunction with the West Boca Theatre Company, The Camp represents a coup for the intimate black-box theater, arriving just a few months after McKeever’s other 2017 world premiere, Finding Mona Lisa, appeared at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.
The Camp may be the attention-grabbing centerpiece of the Levis’ season, but the rest of the shows are no slouches. The 2017-2018 slate is arguably the venue’s most eclectic lineup yet, featuring a healthy balance of recentTony award winning plays, familiar musicals, and even a touring one-man show. These include the scabrous comedy God of Carnage (Nov. 9-19), the absurdist Chekhov homage Vanya & Sonia & Masha and Spike (Jan. 4-14), Wrestling Jerusalem (Jan. 17-21, 2018), Aaron Davidson’s celebrated solo play about the Arab-Israeli conflict, performed by Davidson himself; the Stephen Sondheim masterpiece Company (Feb. 1-11, 2018); and Handle With Care (March 1-11), a romantic comedy with some Hebrew dialogue.
“We have a very defined audience at the Levis,” says Alan Nash, director and box office manager for the Levis JCC. “They love all sorts of things, everything from historical dramas to comedies and musicals. When we were programming for this year, we thought, ‘What can we give them that’s a little more sophisticated, a little more rounded?’” If that means straying a bit from central themes about Judaism—with such universally targeted choices as God of Carnage, Vanya & Sonia and Company—that’s OK. “We want to make sure there’s light comedies and musicals we know people will love” Nash says.
Season and group tickets are available for the Levis JCC’s 2017-2018 season. Call 561/558-2520 or visit levisjcc.org/culture/music_theater. The theater is at 21050 95th Avenue S., Boca Raton.
