Law of Return
Playwright Martin Blank
The Law of Return
Directed by Tamara Fisch
The Law of Return is an original spy thriller inspired by the factual events surrounding the 1984-85 Jonathan Jay Pollard espionage case. The play depicts the actions of Jonathan Pollard, a United States Naval intelligence analyst based in Suitland, Maryland, who removed thousands of classified documents from the Navy's Anti-Terrorist Alert Center and turned them over to Israel. "The Law of Return" refers to the law stating that any Jew who presents himself at an Israeli embassy seeking asylum must be taken. Once found out by the United States., Pollard lead police on a wild chase through D.C., desperately hoping to get to the Embassy of Israel and seek asylum. The climatic ending of The Law of Return is set at the Embassy gates.
“Writing about history is remarkably hard. What Martin has achieved with this play is to go beyond history to give us universal human experience, and to make as ask as jews not “what should Pollard do”, but “what could Pollard do”. ”
Martin Blank (Playwright) is the author of ten plays. His full-length drama, The Law of Return, was produced at Center Stage Theater, Jerusalem, Maryland Ensemble Theatre, and was optioned for Broadway. His one-act comedy, Avenue of the Americas, was produced Off Broadway at the Tank Theater. He has received new play commissions from the American Jewish Theater, Theatre Ariel, and the Georgetown Theatre Company and is published by Smith & Kraus. He has served as Artistic Associate for the American Jewish Theatre and American Place Theatre, New York City, as well as Literary Manager, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Founding Artistic Director, Theater J. Currently, he is Artistic Director for American Ensemble Theater. He attended the University of Maryland and the Yale School of Drama.
Tamara Fisch's (Director) recent credits include: Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam at Theatre Squared, The Play About the Coach at the East 4th Street Theatre, Race by David Mamet at Artists Repertory Theatre, In Memory of Julie Simmons at Ensemble Studio Theatre, the world premiere of Stephen Karam’s musical, Emma, at Waterwell/PPAS, and The Scene by Theresa Rebeck at Portland Playhouse. She has developed/directed plays at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre (Director in Residence 2008-2009), Ars Nova and the Hangar Theatre, among others. Education: Yale, University of Washington. Partial Comfort Company Member and Drama League Directing Fellow.