September 7 - 9, 2012

Presented in conjunction with New Jerusalem, this festival of special performances, discussions, food, drink, and fun celebrates great thinker Baruch de Spinoza, whose big ideas had an immeasurable impact on modern philosophy and politics.

6:30pm
Lecture and Q&A: Directors: In Conversation – Echoes of Spinoza in the Modern World with Director Charles McMahon
We will highlight Spinoza's huge impact on modern philosophy and politics, as well as how those big ideas shaped our production of New Jerusalem.
Downstairs in the Lantern Lab | 60min | FREE

8:00pm
Performance: New Jerusalem
On the Lantern Mainstage | 2hrs 15min | $35

10:30pm
Artists: In Conversation – Post-Show Discussion with the New Jerusalem cast
On the Lantern Mainstage | 20min | FREE

11:30am
Lecture and Lunch: The Sephardic Community in Amsterdam with Anne Oravetz Albert
Following a social lunch, we will explore the history of the Sephardic Jewish community in Amsterdam, revealing how their culture was shaped by persistence in the face of obstacles and a history of domination by others.
At MilkBoy Philly, 11th & Chestnut | 90min | $35 (includes lunch and a beverage; excludes alcohol)

2:00pm
Performance: New Jerusalem
On the Lantern Mainstage | 2hrs 15min | $35

4:30pm
Artists: In Conversation – Post-Show Discussion with the New Jerusalem cast
On the Lantern Mainstage | 20min | FREE

7:00pm
Curtain Raiser: Spinoza's Thinking with Assistant Director M. Craig Getting
This entertaining and anecdotal lecture will introduce audiences to Spinoza's work, his life as a young man in Amsterdam, and his relationship to his Sephardic Jewish community.
Downstairs in the Lantern Lab | 25min | FREE

8:00pm
Performance: New Jerusalem
On the Lantern Mainstage | 2hrs 15min | $38

10:30pm
Artists: In Conversation – Post-Show Discussion with the New Jerusalem cast
On the Lantern Mainstage | 20min | FREE

11:00am
Staged Reading and Discussion: Uriel Acosta and the Art of Excommunication with Director Joshua Browns and a Cast of Local Actors
Featuring selections from Karl Gutzkow's seminal and rarely-performed German play, Uriel Acosta, about the excommunication of troubled Jewish thinker Uriel da Costa – a significant figure in the events of New Jerusalem. Uriel Acosta was the first classic play to be translated into Yiddish and is subsequently an important play in the canon of Yiddish theater. This staged reading will feature an English version by 20th century scholar Henry Spicer, and the performance and post-show audience discussion will focus on da Costa and Spinoza to shed light on the practice of excommunication in the Sephardic Jewish community.
On the Lantern Mainstage | 90min | $15

1:00pm
Curtain Raiser: Spinoza's Thinking with Assistant Director M. Craig Getting
This entertaining and anecdotal lecture will introduce audiences to Spinoza's work, his life as a young man in Amsterdam, and his relationship to his Sephardic Jewish community.
Downstairs in the Lantern Lab | 25min | FREE

2:00pm
Performance: New Jerusalem
On the Lantern Mainstage | 2hrs 15min | $38

4:30pm
Artists: In Conversation – Post-Show Discussion with the New Jerusalem cast
On the Lantern Mainstage | 20min | FREE

7:00pm
Highlight Event: Spinoza's Beit Din with Special Guests
The Beit Din, or Jewish rabbinical court, re-opens the case against Spinoza in our own time. At the end of New Jerusalem, Spinoza faces a verdict that may excommunicate him from his beloved Sephardic Jewish community. At The Beit Din, we will argue both sides of the case anew in a fun theatrical event featuring New Jerusalem artists, attorneys Nathan and Alyza Lewin from the Washington DC firm of Lewin & Lewin LLP, and local rabbis who will render your verdict.
On the Lantern Mainstage | 90min | $15