Paddy Chayefsky's The Tenth Man leads us to discover that
the scholars, who studied the laws of the Torah, also believed in ghosts, and recited
secret incantations passed on from generation to generation. The Tenth Man is
the story of a group of elderly Jewish men, displaced from the terror in Europe, clinging
to the old ways in secular America. Their faith is challenged when they are
confronted by a dybbuk, a wandering spirit with a terrible secret, which has
possessed a young woman. In order to help her, they need a minyan, a prayer
group of ten Jewish men. The problem is, they need a tenth man.
A troubled man is pulled off the street to serve in a ceremony to cast a demon out of a
pretty girl, and in the process learns to cope with his own inner demons. A play
that examines religion in the twentieth century.
This dramatic comedy will have you laughing at Chayefsky's wit and asking yourself what
you truly believe. There will be a Kiddush with kosher wine and refreshments after
the opening weekend performances.
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French,
Inc.
ESP Productions are partially supported by a grant from the Virginia
Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
