Sunday, Feb. 4, 2 pm
First performance will be tribute to mothers and fathers
Lorraine Fink’s iconic artwork hangs on the walls of many Tidewater homes and galleries. A series of designs entitled “Seven Days of Creation” is permanently displayed at the Sandler Family Campus and another inspired by the Torah is outside the social hall of Ohef Sholom Temple. Now, an image of one of those works will have a unique place at Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach.
The piece depicts two young entertainers, a perfect pairing to evoke the type of entertainment that The A’Bisl Theater at Beth Sholom Village will offer. With a mission to deliver “music, comedy, and stageplays with a Jewish twist,” The A’Bisl (that’s a little in Yiddish) will occupy space in the soon to be renovated Pincus Paul multi-purpose room, complete with lighting, staging, a sound system, and more.
“I am so thrilled that we are partnering with Lorraine Fink on this very exciting project,” says David Abraham, CEO of Beth Sholom Village, who was among a group of staff and Fink family members who attended an unveiling of the A’Bisl logo, which includes Fink’s dancing duo. “The A’Bisl will be a true community undertaking, enabling local singers, dancers, actors, and comics to share their skills and talents in front of appreciative audiences, either in a dinner theater or general seating format.”
A sneak peak of the programming planned for The A’Bisl—which will not be fully ready for prime time until next fall —will take place as the finale to Kahbaid (Honor) Weekend, which will celebrate the fifth commandment to honor parents. Called De Mommas and De Poppas, it will feature a host of local individuals from inside and outside the Jewish community, performing songs, comedy routines, and monologues from Jewish shows. Madi Rossettini, The A’Bisl’s new theater manager and a veteran of local stage shows in New Jersey and here in Hampton Roads, will direct the lively hour-long production.
Lorraine Fink is certainly comfortable working in her studio in her Norfolk home. Surrounding her are indigenous craft, sculpture, masks, fabrics, and drawings, drawn from trips with her late husband, Dr. Bill Fink, to such places as New Guinea, India, China, Russia, and Israel. Fink, who earned a BFA and MFA in Visual Studies from Old Dominion University, says, “I look forward to seeing what happens at The A’Bisl.” Then with a smile, she suggests a theatrical twist to her logo: “Maybe we should call the logo ‘Shall We Kazatzke’ or how’s ‘Rhapsody in Blueish.’”
– Joel Rubin