By Edward Kliszus

Shanit Keter Schwartz delivered a riveting performance in her one-person New York City Center show in Daughter of the Wicked. Schwartz henceforth captivated her audience with her words and presence, dancing, and a story augmented by diverse, powerful visual and aural media.

Yemenite Jewish Family

Schwartz’s story was powerful, passionate, personal, and elegantly unfolded. She explicitly described her Yemenite Jewish family’s immigration to Israel after World War II. Schwartz initially described her celebration of life in Israel, free of the oppression experienced in Yemen. She then portrayed harsh working and living conditions, inadequate food and medical services, and the family life dynamics and challenges of living with her rabbi father, mother, and several siblings in a one-room hut.

Kidnapping Scheme

We discovered that Yemenite Jews faced significant challenges adapting to Israeli life. Many were evidently uneducated and faced cultural and linguistic barriers that impeded their efforts to assimilate with Jews from Europe and beyond. Schwartz then spent decades looking for a younger sister, Sarah, whom a government-led kidnapping scheme may have victimized. While her relationship with her father was complex and challenging, it ultimately led to a grand denouement you will want to witness.

Fusion of Old and New

As the audience assembled, music performed by Jerusalem-based Ofra Haza filled the space and set the tone for a profoundly exciting and important story. Haza’s music was certainly a rich assortment of traditional Middle Eastern music, including Yemenite Jewish, Arabic, and Bedouin styles. Correspondingly, her fusion of old and new, modern pop and electronic elements helped create a unique sound of traditional and contemporary styles celebrating love, loss, and spirituality.

Music emphatically and expertly performed by the cello, composed by James Newton Howard, added to the rich poignance of Schwartz’s tale.

A surreal, barren desert landscape depicting the sadness of a daughter of the wicked published in OpeningNight.Onine. Digital art by Edward Kliszus

It is a surreal, barren desert landscape depicting the sadness of a daughter of the wicked. Digital art by Edward Kliszus

Raconteur Extraordinaire

Schwartz is a raconteur extraordinaire. From the onset, her repartee was confident and, at times, adapted to prompt audience interaction. One could hardly resist her gentle, enchanting coaxing. She exuded charisma as she commanded the stage with energy and charm.

Depth and Nuance

Schwartz’s timing was impeccably utilized for dramatic effect, while her suspense and pacing were expertly managed. Her voice conveyed various emotions and characters, using accents and expressing personalities with aplomb—bringing their stories to life. With her robust stage presence, Schwartz utilized body language, dance, and gestures to provide depth and nuance to her performance. She guided her audience through humor, sadness, fear, intrigue, and elation.