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Where is our tolerance?

The University of Calgary’s latest Drama production is a plea for tolerance from all of us.

The Faculty of Fine Arts Department of Drama in co-production with the Department of Germanic, Slavic and East Asian Studies, is presenting Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Tuesday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the University Theatre.

Challenged by both church and state during his lifetime and banned by the Nazis, Lessing’s masterpiece is a passionate plea for religious tolerance that resonates with today’s modern reality as much as it did in the 18th century. The story takes us to Jerusalem during the Third Crusade where an uneasy stalemate exists between the Muslim forces of Saladin and the western Crusaders. Caught in the middle are the Jews. All sides respect Nathan for his wisdom and wealth. But in a war-zone no one is secure.

Director and Fine Arts Faculty member, Dr. Barry Yzereef is passionate about bringing this play to Calgarians. “Nathan the Wise is not only a play about tolerance, it is a plea for kindness, understanding and acceptance of people and opinions that are different from our own. Through humour, common sense and reason, Lessing takes us on a journey that leads to the greatest discovery of all ... Wisdom is found in humanity." Yzereef continues, “I’m also excited to be working with a fantastic cast of students that bring to the work their incredibly diverse backgrounds: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Agnostic and Atheist – we’ve got all these great views working on a story that is a fervent plea for religious tolerance.”

Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, translated by Edward Kemp.