At Broadway opening, cast of ‘Prayer for the French Republic’ calls theme ‘timely’

(10 Jan 2024)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 9 January 2023
1. Wide of exterior of Samuel J Friedman Theater in the rain
2. Various of cast posing including Betsy Aidem, Nael Nacer, Francis Benhamou, Aria Shahghasemi, Anthony Edwards, Molly Ranson, Richard Masur, Nancy Robinette, Daniel Oreskes, Ari Brand and Ethan Haberfield
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Harmon, Playwright:
“Anti-Semitism is evergreen. You know, I've been thinking about this play since 2015, so, it's hard to say what is timely, but it's been a story I've been wanting to tell for a long time. And I feel lucky that we get to do it now.”
4. Tight of Josh Harmon and David Cromer
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Edwards, actor:
“The bottom line to the problem or a problem is hate. And how is it that we as human beings have the ability to hate, and that it can be explored by playwrights from so many different ways? And Josh is finding a way into it, both in a personal way, but also in a bigger way that, you know, these are problems of human conditions, hate, love, fear. You know, although those things are great qualities and our worst of qualities.”
6. Wide zoom to medium and pan left to right of Aria Shahghasemi, Nael Nacer, Molly Ranson, Richard Masur, Francis Benhamou, Betsy Aidem and Anthony Edwards
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Edwards, actor:
“You know, it's funny, there's this really small little movie called 'Miracle Mile' back in the '80s and the full circle of it having been an incredible friendship that started on that film. And I'm now married to that person. And so there's things that connect where life, art and all of that kind of interweaves and you realize like, oh, there's been all kinds of special little moments in life of being an actor and being in the world of, quote, pretending, but like, really it kinda feels better. Maybe that's what happens when you get older. You start going, 'Wow, this is all been really wonderful.'”
8. Wide of Richard Masur, Ethan Haberfield, Ari Brand, Nancy Robinette and Daniel Oreskes posing
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Oreskes, actor:
“Josh, the playwright, has gone out of his way to say, 'I'm not rewriting, I didn't rewrite. I don't want to rewrite the play. This play is its own thing. It's not about what just happened in the last few months.' And he didn't say this, but I'm saying it. It's timeless. It's not about the last month or two. Yes, of course, that adds in some way to the topicality of it, but it's more than that.”
10. Wide of Josh Harmon and David Cromer posing with guests
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Betsy Aidem, actor:
“I found out a lot about my own family that I didn't know because an archival librarian came to see this show, (unclear). And she did some work on my family tree. So I have very recently discovered a lot of things, how relevant the play is to even my own family, which has been 'Wow.'”
12. Medium of David Zayas talking with press
13. SOUNDBITE (English) David Zayas, actor:
“It's important to tell stories. And I know this was done before all that started, you know. So it's a good, the timing of it is you know... It's awful what's happening. But hopefully, you know, by seeing some of these stories will bring some compassion and some understanding of what's going on there. So I'm happy to be here.”
14. Various of Donna Murphy
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Donna Murphy, actor:
“It's kind of devastating that it's more timely. You want this to be something we can look back on and say, 'Well, we learned and we've moved on but doesn't seem to be the case yet'. But I do think that art can be healing and shift people's perspective, so I'm grateful for that.”
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