JEWISH EXPONENT (WHAT IT MEANS TO BE JEWISH IN PHILADELPHIA): The idea for the play, which traces the interfaith relationship of Charles (who is Jewish) and Hope (who is Chinese/Filipino-American) from their first date through their next 50 years together and apart, first came to Schulner on a 17-hour road trip from Seattle to Minneapolis. He says that on the trip, “I became acutely aware of time — it struck me just how malleable it was, and I knew I wanted to capture that for the stage.”
One of the most critical of these phases is the transformation experienced by Charles once the couple’s daughter is born. “He is not deeply connected to his faith as a young man,” explains Erin Reilly, the artistic director of Theatre Horizon. “But once he has children, he starts thinking about the faith and traditions he is going to pass down to his daughter.” As a result, Reilly says, he pushes Hope to allow their daughter to become a Bat Mitzvah, which strengthens his connection to his heritage
