The Chosen

Directed by David EllensteinIts themes of father-son communication, friendship, faith and personal destiny are universal, and this production, another Paper Mill’s joint efforts with the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Florida, explores them with and admirable subtlety. David Ellenstein’s restrained direction, an elegant set by Michael Anania and deft lighting by Michael J. Eddy work together perfectly.

- Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times

Theatre doesn’t get much better than ‘The Chosen’ at the Paper Mill.

In more than four years of covering the Paper Mill Playhouse, never have I seen a play of such resonant beauty and poetic power as “The Chosen.”

Director David Ellenstein has used a firm but gentle hand in shaping this play. The pacing is flawless and leads beautifully to the climax, which is tear jerking without resorting to cheap theatrics. The performances are subtlety layered and nuance, the staging effective, and the relationships beautifully realized.

While its truly about many things, ultimately ‘The Chosen’ is about choices. Make your choice to see this remarkable play before it’s nothing more than a memory as distant as it is rich.

- Bill Van Sant, Worral Newspapers

If a play is going to be all talk-talk-talk, that talk had better be pretty good.

It is, in ‘The Chosen’ at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. What really helps this adaptation of the famed 1967 novel by Chaim Potok – which he adapted with Aaron Posner – is David Ellenstein’s sensitive direction, combined with five exemplary performances…

Credit to Ellenstein for creating a production that feels ethnic without ever resorting to stereotype …

Non-musicals often get lost in the vast Paper Mill, but Ellenstein minimized the problem by putting his actors close to the lip of the stage. Still ‘The Chosen would look better in more intimate setting. How about one of those half-dozen Broadway theatres that’s looking for a booking?

- Peter Filichia, Star-Ledger

Director David Ellenstein deserves full credit for the fine performances and his clear, brisk staging of the Paper Mill production. Working on a richly evocative set designed by Michael Anania, he and the designer have brought the actors in this straight, small-cast drama, close to the audience and managed to build a sense of intimacy in the huge space of the Paper Milll’s Broadway-sized musical house.

- Thom Molyneaux, The Montclair Times

Director David Ellenstein and his strong cast deliver a graceful, moving production.
- Christine Dolen, The Miami HeraldDirector David Ellenstein’s sensitive direction fully mines the play’s richness and poignancy,

- Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

Because the conflict revolves around intellectual ideas, the drama is communicated mostly through talk, which could be deadly in the mouths of a less talented cast. But director David Ellenstein never lets the dramatic energy flag as the actors move effortlessly around the stage and bring the words to life.

- Ruth Ross, Recorder Newspapers

How often do you watch a play so absorbing that you forget that these are fallible actors in a theatrical construct? The production of ‘The Chosen’ running at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn offers that expertise together with that cliché’ of entertainment satisfaction, a combination of laughter and tears. It is a rare treat.

Under the direction of David Ellenstein, who first staged this show at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Florida, the many chapters of Chaim Potok’s famous novel about Jewish fathers and sons unfold into a smooth, easily followed dramatic whole.

- Elaine Durbach, New Jersey Jewish News

Chaim Potok's ‘The Chosen’ has received a mesmerizing production at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.
In other hands than director David Ellenstein’s, this play could be static and boring. But here again, the characters are so grounded, so well defined that the conflicts and longings emerge in ways that challenge the audience.

- Liz Keill, The Independent Press

Make the right choice: See ‘The Chosen’
… the power and beauty of this story transcend religion and burrow to the core of friendship, family and the dynamics of the father-son relationship. It seems a shame that this production will run only 6 weeks, but the Paper Mill schedule does not allow for extended runs, so you had better get your tickets before the word spreads.

- William Westhoven, Daily Record

Under the guidance of director David Ellenstein, the production is generally a strong one…The smooth direction of David Ellenstein lends a smooth cinematic feel to the entire enterprise. I found myself looking for additional actors at the curtain call. When this happens, I realize with delight that the director and the writers have filled the play with a sense of life outside what is actually to be viewed within the stage frame.
With this production of ‘The Chosen’, Paper Mill is offering theatergoers a rich, satisfying, and thought provoking entertainment.

- Bob Rendell, Talkin’ Broadway

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