Lingua Franca at 59E59 from 9 - 28 Nov 2010

Culture Project will present the world premiere of Imagining Heschel, a new play by Colin Greer, directed by Larry Moss, who was last represented Off-Broadway by his production of Syringa Tree. The two-character play will feature Richard Dreyfuss and Rinde Eckert.

Imagining Heschel opens at the Cherry Lane Theatre on 8 Nov 2010, following previews from 4 Nov and will play through to 28 Nov 2010, for 20 performances only.

Imagining Heschel explores private conversations between Cardinal Augustin Bea and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel from 1962 - 1973, when Heschel was asked to aid the Vatican Council in formally exonerating the Jews for the death of Christ - a crucial repudiation of anti-Semitism. Heschel resists, demanding the Vatican apologize for their acquiescence to the Holocaust, and an ideological test of wills ensues.

Colin Greer's imagined discussions between these philosophical giants takes place in the midst of the numerous struggles of the late 1960s -including the war in Vietnam which Heschel strenuously opposed, and the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, which he supported.

Imagining Heschel raises important questions about the justification of violence by any faith, and the limits of forgiveness.

Colin Greer (Playwright) is President of The New World Foundation. Formerly, he was Professor at Brooklyn College, CUNY. He is best known for 'The Great School Legend' and 'Choosing Equality: The Case for Democratic Schooling' (which won the American Library Association's Eli M. Oboler Intellectual Freedom Award). He was a founding editor of Change Magazine and Social Policy Magazine, and a contributing editor to Parade Magazine. He is the author (with Herbert Kohl) of 'A Call to Character,' Harper Collins. Other books include: 'What Nixon is doing to Us,' 'The Solution is Part of the Problem,' 'After Reagan What?' among others.

Larry Moss (Director) began his career at New York's cabaret Upstairs at the Downstairs and went on to appear on Broadway in numerous productions including Joe Layton's 'Drat! The Cat!,' Neil Simon's 'God's Favorit,' directed by Michael Bennett, Burt Shevelove's 'So Long 174th Street,' Gerald Freedman's 'The Robber Bridegroom' and Gene Saks' 'I Love My Wife.' He directed and developed Pamela Gien's The Syringa Tree, which had its world premiere at ACT in Seattle. The Syringa Tree opened in New York in September 2000 and won the Obie Award for Best Play of 2001 and a nomination for the John Gassner Playwriting Award.

Richard Dreyfuss has been a feature-film, TV and theatre actor for 55 years. His films include "Jaws," "The Goodbye Girl," "Tin Men," "Once Around," "Mr. Holland's Opus," among many others.

Rinde Eckert the 2009 recipient of The Alpert Award in the Arts for his contributions to Theatre and finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, is a writer, composer, performer and director. His Opera / New Music Theatre productions have toured throughout America, and to major theater festivals in Europe and Asia.