Yentl

Yentl is a bright and strong-willed young woman who loves debating Jewish law with her father, a rabbi. When he dies, Yentl loses her intellectual outlet. To continue her studies, she decides to go against tradition and enroll in a yeshiva. But first she has to cut her hair and disguise herself as young man — and so Anshel is born. Her ruse is successful until she realizes she has romantic feelings for her study partner, Avigdor. Yentl was adapted for the stage by Leah Napolin from the Isaac Bashevis Singer story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy." When Barbra Streisand rewrote it for the screen, Yentl became a musical. The New Jewish Theatre's new production takes the action back to the stage but keeps the musical element — except this time the songs were composed by folk-pop musician Jill Sobule. The New Jewish Theatre closes its season with a new Yentl at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday (May 11 to June 5) in the Wool Studio Theatre at the Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur; 314-442-3283 or www.newjewishtheatre.org). Tickets are $39.50 to $43.50.