FAVORITE LINE: “HODEL: Papa, God alone knows when we shall see each other again. / TEVYE: Then we will leave it in His hands” (104). I love the strength of Tevye’s faith and his deep love for his daughter. The way he uses his faith to comfort his daughter reminds me of my own parents. 

FAVORITE MOMENT: My favorite moment is when Tevye says “God be with you” under his breath to Tzeitel, prompting her to say it to Chava and Fyedka as they leave for Crackow. This momentalways makes me want to cry because it is a small breath of redemption. Even after the devastating rejection of Chava, Tevye still loves her and desires joy for her – even if he cannot express it directly to her. 

MOST IMPORTANT LINE: “Because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do” (13). This line, one of the first in the show, sets the trajectory for the story and helps explain why tradition is so crucial for Tevye’s life. It is not tradition for tradition’s sake, but tradition as a form of identity and safety. 

MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT: The most important moment of the play is the final conflict between Tevye and Chava when Tevye refuses to accept Chava’s marriage to Fyedka. The entire story has been building up to this, as first Tzeitel, then Hodel, and then Chava have pushed Tevye outside of the boundaries of his tradition. With Chava, he reaches the breaking point and must either turn his back on his daughter or turn his back on his own values and beliefs. 

 

1. Positives (+) 

Who Run the World? Girls! 

Though Tevye is the main character of Fiddler on the Roof, the strong female characters are the lifeblood of the story. Golde, Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, and even Yente are all women with agency and power in a time when women were not expected to have those things. Even Golde and Yente, who stay relatively within the social confines of womanhood, still show strength and authority within those confines. Golde obviously runs her family, and Yente is a respected community leader. Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava begin to break from these social confines. They all have beautiful experiences of finding their voice and pursuing their goals and values in a way that is inspiring and encouraging. 

 

Non-Toxic Masculinity 

 The way in which Tevye interacts with his daughters and his wife is an example of non-toxic masculinity within the confines of patriarchal society. His deep love for his daughters and his desire for their happiness often supersedes his role as the head patriarch, and he allows his daughters to have agency in a way that the fathers around him do not. He is also vulnerable about showing emotion and sentimentality – it is significant that it is he who sings Do You Love Me to Golde rather than the other way around. Motel is also a male character who demonstrates softness and compassion. His journey of becoming a man is one of learning to stand up for himself and for Tzeitel in an intelligent and emotional way rather than becoming forceful or violent.  

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Education and Cultural Relativism 

Fiddler on the Roof is a beautiful way of capturing and remembering a piece of the Jewish story that might have otherwise been lost to time. While everyone learns about the Holocaust in history class, the abuse and oppression of the Jewish people in Russia in the early 1900s is not often mentioned. Fiddler on the Roof also depicts Jewish faith and culture in a way that promotes empathy, connection, and cultural relativism. Theatre is one of the best ways to educate in a way that encourages empathy, as I learned firsthand by seeing the positive reactions of my students at Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish this past December. 

 

A Refugee Story 

Fiddler on the Roof, despite being about a very specific cultural and historical context, is often considered a very universal story. My friend Kirk told me a story about how when Fiddler was performed in Japan, audience members asked how they managed to write such an authentically Japanese show! The themes in Fiddler, particularly the experience of refugees, are profoundly applicable today. When I saw Fiddler in Yiddish at New World Stages, there was a talkback session hosted by Safi Rauf, founder of Human First Coalition, an organization for Afghan refugees. They were able to make so many poignant connections between the experience of Jewish people in 1905 to experiences of Afghan refugees today.  

 

To Life, L’Chaim: Joy in Fiddler 

Fiddler on the Roof gives me so much joy. I think that joy can be something often overlooked in theatre – we often feel that for something to be impactful, it has to be heartbreaking. While there are certainly heartbreaking moments and serious themes in Fiddler, there is also laughter, silliness, fun, and the joy that can be found through connections with others even when life is hard. The play ends in a bittersweet place of both mourning and hope. It’s a story that is heartwarming and encouraging, and I believe is the best of both worlds in terms of encouraging deep thought and reflection in the audience, but also just simply making them happy. 

 

2. Challenges (-)  

Put a Ring on It and Shut It 

While Fiddler on the Roof contains depictions of many strong women, as mentioned above, feminism is still limited. While Tevye’s daughters gain more agency in their marriages by choosing to marry people they love, marriage is still presented as the only available option to them. Immediately after both Tzeitel and Hodel’s engagements, solos are given to their male counterparts. Tzeitel does not sing in "Miracle of Miracles", and Hodel only has brief solos or duets in "Now I Have Everything". While I don’t believe this was the intention of the authors, this choice gives the impression that after their engagement, women are silenced. There are also of course other sexist moments throughout the play that are reflective of the time period – the Russian men harassing Chava, the lyrics about the roles of mothers and daughters in "Tradition," Yente’s insistence on marriage as the be-all and end-all to life, and the line that Tevye and Golde sing in "Sabbath Prayer" -- “May God make you good mothers and wives / May he send you husbands who will care for you”(40). While there is feminism in Fiddler on the Roof, the feminism does not go as far as 21st century audiences may desire because of its cultural and historical setting. 

 

The Nagging Wife 

Depending on how she is portrayed, Golde’s character can be problematic in terms of sexism and antisemitism. Though Golde is a very strong female character, as mentioned above in the positives, this strength often is presented as bossiness. Golde can easily fit the stereotype of the Jewish mother stock character – nagging, loud, and overbearing. Though he clearly loves her, Tevye makes many somewhat derogatory jokes about Golde’s behavior. When Perchik comments on Hodel’s “quick and witty tongue,” Tevye tells him, “The wit she gets from me...The tongue she gets from her mother” (36). Golde’s character will require intentional work on the part of both director and actor in order to not come across as a two-dimensional and offensive stereotype.  

 

Shall We Dance?  

When Perchik and Hodel first dance together, it says in the stage directions that “He seizes her and starts dancing” (53). Because touching between unmarried men and women is forbidden, this act is shocking to Hodel. Though she ends up enjoying the dance, and later chooses to dance with Perchik in front of her village, I think it’s important that the first dance is consensual. I think this could easily be fixed by having Perchik hold out his hands to Hodel and having her take them. That small change gives Hodel more agency without greatly affecting plot or character. 

 

The War in Ukraine 

Fiddler on the Roof takes place in the fictional village of Anatevka, but is set in the reality of what is today central Ukraine. Part of the story of Fiddler is of Russian officials violently removing Jewish people from their homeland in Ukraine – a story that is, tragically, all too real today in 2023. With Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the senseless violence against the Ukrainian people, and the huge population of refugees fleeing Ukraine, much of the Fiddler story seems have been taken directly from the pages of a 1905 story and made into a 2022-2023 reality. Thus it is crucially important that this story is treated with sensitivity and respect for the people in Ukraine who are currently facing many of the realities that the characters in Fiddler face. 

 

Respecting Jewish Faith and Culture 

The most difficult and most important part of doing Fiddler on the Roof is portraying the beautiful intricacies of Jewish faith and culture with respect, dignity, accuracy, and thoughtfulness. There are many significant and meaningful elements of Jewish faith and culture represented onstage, such as the lighting of the Sabbath candles and the wedding ceremony. The portrayal of those practices must not be taken lightly and props used should be treated with respect and care. The antisemitic and derogatory line spoken by the Constable on page 50 could also prove problematic. There should be a presence within the cast and production team of Jewish people who can provide insight on their culture and beliefs. A cultural consultant such as a rabbi would also be helpful. 

 

3. Questions (?)  

How can we promote feminism and the strong female characters of this show without becoming anachronistic to the cultural and historical context? 

How should we cast? 

• Is it appropriate to cast non-Jewish actors in Jewish roles?  

• Is it appropriate to cast Jewish actors in Russian roles?  

• How can we cast people of color in Jewish/Russian roles while still respecting the cultural and historical background of the story? 

• How can we cast nonbinary actors while still respecting the cultural and historical background of the story? 

What should be the makeup of the production team? How can we include Jewish people within the production team without making them feel tokenized? 

How can we make religious references accessible to an audience who may be unfamiliar with biblical stories? 

How can we show respect to Jewish faith and culture through costumes, props, and sets? 

How should we handle the derogatory and antisemitic line that the Constable says to Tevye? 

What prayer should Tevye be praying for the Sabbath? Is it appropriate to include actual prayers from the Jewish faith? 

Is it possible to switch genders for certain villager roles? (ex. Make Mordcha or Avram female) 

 

4. Crack/Thread  

Fiddler on the Roof was the first show I ever performed in, as a freshman in high school. Without that show, I don’t think I would even be in this graduate program. Fiddler made me fall absolutely in love with theatre and storytelling – even though I played a female villager with no lines! Fiddler was an especially formative experience for me because my great-grandfather passed away the day of our final performance. At that time, I was also suffering from a debilitating panic disorder. I went to the show struggling to hold it together, gripped by a mixture of grief and anxiety. Backstage in the cramped stage left wing just seconds before I was supposed to go on for "Tradition," I started having a panic attack. As I was crying, shaking, and hyperventilating, the senior playing Hodel helped me breathe and calm down. Even though she hardly knew me, she missed her own entrance to make sure I was okay. When the panic attack had subsided, she stayed by my side, holding my hand as we walked onstage together. 

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That moment has stayed with me for the past ten years – it was at that moment that I saw theatre not simply as a fun extracurricular, but as a place of community and empathy unlike anything I’d experienced elsewhere. My experience in Fiddler on the Roof helped me realize that theatre is life-changing – both in the stories told onstage and the connections made backstage. I have remained deeply in love with Fiddler on the Roof and the powerful themes and characters it portrays. My good friend Kirk Geritano, who was my co-director at the children’s theatre I worked at, recently played Avram in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish at New World Stages. I was able to go see him perform in December 2022 with a group of my former students, most of whom were around age thirteen. Once again, I got to see the transformative power of Fiddler as the kids watched wide-eyed, completely engrossed in the story even though they couldn’t understand the language and were reading supertitles. I was reminded of how much of an impact Fiddler had on me, as I found myself automatically translating lines that I remembered from the show ten years later.  

 

5. Audio and Visual moments (A/V)  

Audio 

Fiddler playing opening melody (pg. 13) 

Dream music (pg. 66-70) 

Grandma Tzeitel and Fruma-Sarah's ghosts screaming (pg. 66-70) 

Wedding dance music (pg. 78) 

Sounds of destruction (pg. 85) 

Train whistle (pg. 104) 

 

Visual 

Groups in "Tradition" – fathers, mothers, daughters, sons (pg. 15) 

Tevye’s family standing together in the candlelight during "Sabbath Prayer" (pg. 40) 

Russians and Jewish community dancing together in "To Life" (pg. 48) 

Tzeitel and Motel frozen together while Tevye sings "Tradition Reprise" (pg. 60) 

Ghosts surrounding ghost of Fruma-Sarah while she threatens Tzeitel (pg. 70) 

Tzeitel and Motel under the wedding chupah during "Sunrise, Sunset" (pg. 76) 

Perchik crossing into the women’s area and extending his hand to Hodel to dance at wedding (pg. 84) 

Russians destroying the wedding (pg. 84) 

Hodel and Perchik frozen together while Tevye sings second "Tradition Reprise" (pg. 60) 

Tevye sitting next to Hodel on the bench while she waits for the train (pg. 102) 

Tevye refusing to accept Chava and sending her away as villagers sing "Tradition" (pg. 112) 

Tevye indirectly saying “God be with you” to Chava and Fyedka before they leave (pg. 123) 

Villagers circling the stage as they leave Anatevka (pg. 125) 

Tevye beckoning for the Fiddler to follow them (pg. 125) 

 

6. Concretes (C) 

Fiddle: used for music and as symbol for Fiddler 

Head Coverings: part of Jewish tradition – hats are worn by Jewish men in order to show devotion to God 

Prayer Shawls: part of Jewish tradition – pryer shawls are worn by Jewish men in order to show devotion to God 

Tevye’s cart: symbolic of the difficulty of Tevye’s life, the hard work that those in Anatevka need to do to survive 

Cheese: Tevye offers it to Perchik as a sign that he accepts him when the other villagers are rejecting him 

Sabbath candles: important part of Jewish cultural tradition – Shabbat candles are listen on Friday night to usher in the Jewish Sabbath 

Book by Heinrich Heine: Chava choosing to take this book from Fyedka shows her willingness to find common ground with the Russians and is the inciting incident for the rest of her story 

Chuppah (wedding canopy): this is a crucial element to Jewish weddings, symbolizing the home that the couple will build together – Tevye even mentions later to Hodel that he hopes she’ll be married under a canopy 

Wine and wineglass: another element of Jewish weddings, the bride and groom sharing wine together and then breaking the wineglass (there are multiple different symbolic interpretations of this) 

Pillows and candlesticks: the wedding gifts given to Tzeitel and Motel are historically and culturally important, representing the blessing of the marriage by the parents and community – thus the Russians destruction of these gifts is incredibly heartbreaking 

Sewing machine: this is what Motel has been working towards throughout the show, it represents his ability to make a life for himself and his family 

Golde’s pots: Golde is clinging to normalcy and reminders of home as they are forced to leave Anatevka 

 

7. Echoes, Repetitions, Returnings

ECHOES 

Biblical allusions 

Abraham (pg. 32) 

Moses (pg. 32) 

Ruth and Esther (pg. 39) 

Laban and Jacob (pg. 51) 

King Solomon (pg.60) 

Daniel (pg. 62) 

Walls of Jericho (pg. 62) 

Exodus (pg. 62) 

David and Goliath (pg. 63) 

Manna (pg. 63) 

Adam and Eve (pg. 95) 

Joseph (pg. 102) 
Eye for an eye (pg. 116) 

Messiah (pg. 116) 

Garden of Eden (pg. 117) 

Locations 

Plague in Odessa (pg. 30) 

Eviction in Rajanka (pg. 30) 
Dance from Kiev (pg. 53) 

Settlements in Siberia (pg. 102) 

Edict issues in St. Petersburg (pg. 115) 

Pograms in Zolodin, Rabalevka (p. 114) 

Jerusalem (pg. 120) 

Chicago (pg. 121) 

Cracow (pg. 122) 

Literature 

Book by Heinrich Heine (pg. 75) 

Torah (throughout) 

 

REPETITIONS & RETURNINGS 

Appearance of Fiddler 

Top of prologue (pg. 13) 

End of Act 1 Scene 5 (pg. 51) 

End of Act 2 (pg. 125) 

*During some productions, the Fiddler also enters during each of Tevye’s frozen monologues 

Tradition reprises 

Prologue – "Tradition" (pg. 13) 

Tzeitel/Motel - "Tradition" reprise (pg. 60) 

Hodel/Perchik - "Tradition" reprise (pg. 95) 

Chava – Villagers sing "Tradition" (pg. 112) 

Tevye freezing time 

Tzeitel/Motel (pg. 60) 

Hodel/Perchik (pg. 95) 

Chava (pg. 112) 

Tevye talking to God 

“Today I am a horse” (pg. 26) 

“Did You have to send me news like that?” (50) 

“Help!” (62) 

“Thank you” (71) 

“That was quite a dowry” (89) 

“Take care of her” (104) 

“If I can walk on two legs” (110) 

Tevye pulling wagon 

Top of Act 1 Scene 2 

Middle of Act 1 Scene 2 

Top of Act 2 Scene 6 

End of Act 2 

Advice from the Rabbi 

Blessing for the tsar (pg. 16) 

“Let’s sit down” (pg. 80, 82)  

Rules on dancing (pg. 83) 

Blessing for the sewing machine (106) 

“We’ll have to wait for him someplace else” (116) 

“As the Good Book says” (Tevye’s often incorrect quotations) 

“Heal us, O Lord” (pg. 27) 

“If you spit in the air” (31) 

“I am a stranger” (32) 

“I am slow of speech” (32) 

“When a poor man” (34) 

Pg. 36 - “The Good Book can wait!” 

“Good news will stay” (54) 
“Why should I tell You what the Good Book says?” (89) 

“Each shall seek his own kind” (109) 

Yente matchmaking 

Avram’s son and Ruchel (pg. 15) 

Tzeitel and Lazar Wolf (pg. 22) 

Shprintze and Bielke with two boys (pg. 112) 

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8. Summary (WTPN): 

Fiddler on the Roof should be performed always and forever, but especially now, with the rise of antisemitism in America, the recent antisemitic actions by major political and cultural figures, and the current war in Ukraine. Fiddler promotes empathy across history and across cultures, which is desperately needed in today’s world. 

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Antisemitism and hate crimes against Jewish people have gone up over 35% in the past few years which such incidents as the tragic and deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, the shooting in at a synagogue in Poway, CA, and the hostage crisis at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. Additionally, representatives Marjorie Taylor and Paul Gosar spoke at a fundraising event a year ago hosted by known Holocaust denier and white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who was invited over for dinner by former president Trump in November 2022. Several months ago, Kanye West posted violent antisemitic remarks on Twitter, which were seen by millions. Antisemitism is clearly not a thing of the past. By presenting Jewish communities and families in such a beautiful way, Fiddler can encourage and promote empathy, connection, and cultural relativism. 

Additionally, the current war on Ukraine bears shocking similarities to the story of Fiddler on the Roof. While this can provide a challenge in portraying this story in a sensitive and respectful way, it also provides an opportunity to process, to connect, to mourn, and to reflect. By relating Fiddler on the Roof to the current context, Americans can gain empathy and be motivated to assist the suffering Ukrainian people. And of course, in our post-Covid world where we are all recovering from trauma and separation, Fiddler on the Roof provides the joy and community that so many long for. 

 

9. Theatre History Connection

While Fiddler on the Roof does not neatly fit into any of the styles of theatre we have studied so far in dramaturgy, there are connections to some of the plays we read last semester. Fiddler on the Roof bears similarities to the play Fuenteovejuna: both are about tight-knit communities coming together against an oppressive force. While Fuenteovejuna ends with violence and freedom from oppression, Fiddler on the Roof ends with the oppressed group being forced from their homes, but with the hope of rebuilding community elsewhere. Fiddler on the Roof is also a retelling of an actual historical event, similar to The African Company Presents King Richard III. Both plays use theatre to examine dark places in global history, and both find hope, joy, and redemption even in struggle and suffering.  

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Fiddler on the Roof is also considered the last musical of the Golden Age of musicals (1943 – 1964), which we will hopefully be learning about this year. Cabaret (1966), which we will be studying, is considered the first major shift from Golden Age musicals. It will be fascinating to compare Fiddler on the Roof to Cabaret and notice the different styles.