For Edward Einhorn's play, Tanya & Barry created a detailed temple ark containing a scroll which, when backlit, served as a shadow puppet screen. The play concerns Jonathan, a modern boy, and the legendary Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee, who meet in an abandoned room which somehow exists both in Jonathan's modern temple in the United States and in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah's time. Evolve's shadow sequences were used as interludes between scenes, and served as a window to life in the ancient Temple. Photos by Edward Einhorn.


L-R: Actors Dmitri Friedenberg (Jonathan) and Peter Bean (Judah Maccabee) play dreidel in front of Evolve's ark. Bean also operated the shadow puppets between scenes.




The painted wooden ark was detailed with more than 500 individually attached tiles, handcrafted fabric-sculpture Stars of David and a decorative lightbox containing a shadow-puppet version of the 7-branched temple menorah (not to be confused with the familiar 9-branched Hanukkah menorah).




When the ark is opened, a scroll is revealed. When lit from behind, the scroll (which represents the Book of Maccabee), becomes a "portal" that reveals moving shadows from the time of the ancient temple.



The rebuilding of the temple.



The high priest prepares for a ritual sacrifice.



Judah Maccabee tests his sword before going into battle.



Men in traditional headgear bring temple offerings -- jars of oil, grapes...



...and wheat.