Hershel of “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins.” Photo by Elizabeth Dapo.
“Hershel just wants to celebrate Hanukkah with the community,” states the Puppet Co.’s description of “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” “but the Queen and King of the Goblins have forbidden the lighting of the candles. Can Hershel save the day and lift the curse for this shtetl (village)?”
The puppeteers and voices are uniformly excellent, adding life and personality to this very special play for the holiday season.
In this puppet show, based on Eric Kimmel’s children’s book of the same name, a solitary man, Hershel, wanders through a dark village during the season of Hanukkah and is told that the villagers cannot celebrate Hanukkah due to the goblins haunting an old synagogue nearby. Indeed, the goblins terrorize the whole village, with the village rabbi warning Hershel that most who confront the goblins never return! Hershel goes on this quest not because he is a hero; he is rather an everyman. He does this because it is what a good person would do—because he is, to use a Yiddish term, a mensch.
Much like the story of David and Goliath, Hershel is destined to win his fight with the goblins—not by strength, but through wit, intelligence, and “doing something honorable,” thus restoring the freedom of the village to celebrate Hanukkah. He does this in part by lighting the Hanukah menorah in the old synagogue each night. The story also parallels in a subtle manner the miracle of Hanukkah and the Maccabees’ revolt and victory against the powerful Romans despite overwhelming odds.
Unlike the book, there is something of a frame or a show-within-a-show styling to this presentation, adding a classical theatre element to the proceedings. The main story is introduced after Hershel’s child wishes to hear a Hanukkah story, and Hershel recalls (and the audience witnesses) his adventures. A candle is lit each night at the home of Hershel as he is away at the haunted, dilapidated synagogue lighting the hanukkiah in the inner narrative.
The puppets are wonderful, with a different goblin for each Hanukkah night. A bat appears on the first night and a dragon-like creature on the second. On the eighth and final night, an impressive puppet reminiscent of a black hole appears, to excellent effect, and is finally “brightened” by Hershel’s action in lightening the eighth candle.
As for adult audience members, a Jewish audience might get a little more from the play.There are a few Hebrew prayers said during the lighting of the candles, and Hebrew words such as “Shekhinah” (meaning the Divine Presence) are sometimes mixed with the English dialogue. Non-Jewish viewers will likely also enjoy the show, with its folk-tale elements, references to broadly known biblical narratives such as Jonah and the whale, and universal themes of bravery, endurance, and love. Lively klezmer music before and during the show adds to the overall ambiance as well.
The puppeteers and voices are uniformly excellent, adding life and personality to this very special play for the holiday season. These actors include Danny Pushkin as Hershel, Kristina Hopkins as Yente and others, Mollie Greenberg as the Rabbi and others, and Ingrid Rekedal as Uncle Ivan and others. Under the direction of Martha Mountain, the lighting effects are outstanding.
Running: Approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.
Advisory: Recommended for ages five and up because of its length and use of some spooky images and staging.
“Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” runs through January 1, 2023 at The Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD 20812 in historic Glen Echo Park. For more information and tickets, go online. Masks are required inside the theatre.
