At Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids, the idea that “art is literacy of the heart” comes vividly to life in “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk,” an upcoming production that portrays the entwined lives of painter Marc Chagall and his wife, writer Bella Rosenfeld. Opening in early February, the evocative production raises its curtain just days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day and exemplifies the theater’s mission to enrich the Jewish experience in West Michigan while informing, educating, and engaging its patrons.
Marc Chagall, a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish descent, is best known for fanciful floating lovers, fiddlers, flying goats, and scenes of shtetl life—images full of whimsy and imagination. Yet beneath these dreamlike surfaces lie the ruptures of the twentieth century: pogroms, displacement, and the threat of Nazi persecution. Born in Vitebsk in 1887, Chagall studied in St. Petersburg from 1907. He returned to Vitebsk in 1914, married Bella in 1915, and after the 1917 Revolution directed the city’s Fine Arts and founded the People’s School of Art. From 1920 to 1923 he worked in Moscow for the Jewish Theatre before leaving Russia for Paris. In 1941, during the Nazi occupation of France, he emigrated to the United States, settling in New York for the duration of the war. His art is infused with memory, loss, and the unbreakable spirit of his community.
Written by Daniel Jamieson with music by Ian Ross, the play condenses decades of history into a two-character, two-musician performance. “It’s a love story, yes,” says Rob Franciosi, retired Grand Valley State University professor and chair of the theatre’s play-selection committee, “but it’s also about making beauty out of catastrophe, about how art preserves memory.” The production follows Chagall and Bella from the streets of Vitebsk to Paris and beyond, blending youthful passion with the reflective perspective of later years. The older Chagall, preparing to return to Paris, provides a lens through which the audience contemplates the fragility and persistence of culture and creativity.
Franciosi notes that Chagall’s work often masks profound tragedy with whimsy. “He’s always seen as lighthearted,” he said, “but the trauma of exile, pogroms, and the Holocaust looms over much of his imagery. His hometown, Vitebsk, which inspired so much of his art, was effectively erased.” Iconic works such as “White Crucifixion” exemplify this duality, adapting the passion of Jesus to the suffering of the Jewish people in the twentieth century.
The play also explores the domestic sphere, examining the tension between artistic ambition and partnership. Bella’s sacrifices and creativity offer insight into the delicate dynamics of love and labor within creative collaborations. “It’s a love story, but a complicated one,” Franciosi says. “There’s always that question of who supports whom, and at what cost.”
Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids has long pursued productions that balance Jewish subject matter with broader community interests. Without a permanent company, it assembles actors, designers, and directors for each production, often collaborating with other local institutions like the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The theatre’s selection committee surveys Jewish theatres nationwide to identify scripts that it hopes will resonate with a Grand Rapids audience. “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” was discovered through a streamed performance from the University of Wisconsin that revealed its visually rich storytelling potential. Mary Rademacher, acclaimed locally for her portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will direct the two-hander.
“It’s a sparse production, but that simplicity allows us to use Chagall’s colors and images on stage,” Franciosi said. Klezmer music and projections inspired by Chagall’s art promise to immerse audiences in a world that is both playful and haunted, bridging the personal plight of the couple with historical events.
The theatre has a history of embracing intimate, challenging productions, from a one-person show portraying Dr. Ruth Westheimer to ensemble dramas like “Sisters in Law.”
“The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” offers a firsthand glimpse into the vibrant imaginations of Chagall and Bella amid the turmoil of their era. Their journey through dreamlike skies tells a deeply human story of love and artistry, tested by war, displacement, and challenges of mixing intimacy with creative collaboration.
Rich in subject matter and brought to life with visuals inspired by Chagall’s paintings, “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” promises a thought-provoking, visually enchanting experience that will resonate with anyone drawn to art, history, or the interplay between love and imagination.
Catch “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” Feb. 5, 7, 12 and 14 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Feb. 8 and 15 at 3 p.m., at Spectrum Theatre, 160 Fountain St. NE, in downtown Grand Rapids. Visit jtgr.org for tickets.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 27 marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established to honor the memory of all those who suffered and died under the Holocaust. For more than two decades, this day has been observed worldwide as a time to reflect on the horrors of the past, acknowledge the courage of survivors, and educate future generations to prevent such atrocities. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of memory, vigilance, and standing against intolerance in all its forms.
