Review: 'My Name is Asher Lev' at Live Theater

For some, art is the religion.

Others, religion the art.

The two concepts collide in “My Name is Asher Lev,” now onstage at Live Theatre Workshop.

Asher Lev is a young boy in a strict Hasidic community who is possessed by the need to create art. His passion is in direct conflict with the strict religious beliefs of his parents and his community. To them, art is an unholy pursuit.

Chaim Potok wrote the book — a bestseller when it was published in 1972 — on which the play is based, and Aaron Posner adapted it.

Three actors portray the nine characters in this play, which takes us from Asher Lev’s youth and the discovery of his passion and talent for art to young adulthood, when he must choose between his family, community and making art.

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Steve Wood portrays Asher Lev with an innocence and sense of wonder. It’s easy to understand the fever that compels the character to create. The role is no small feat — he is the narrator of the story, and the journey begins when he was a toddler and ends when he is a grown man.

Art Almquist acts infrequently. It’s a shame: The Tucson Magnet High School theater director is very good. He brings four characters to rich life, giving distinction to Asher Lev’s inflexible, often-absent father; a wise rebbe; a doting uncle, and a free-wheeling artist who serves as Asher’s mentor and guide to the world of art.

Carrie Hill is Asher’s tortured mother, who burns with her own desires to break out of the traditional role of the home-bound wife, and is torn between Asher and her husband. She also portrays a tough art gallery owner.

Posner’s adaptation stays true to the book, and the production, nicely directed by Amy Almquist, clips along and brings clarity to the story.

Still, there are some shortcomings: There were missed opportunities for humor, which would have helped deepen the drama; we longed for more modulation in Wood’s portrayal — it would have given us a better sense of what is at risk if Lev is to pursue his art, and accents came and went.

But overall, “My Name Is Asher Lev” succeeds in giving life to a story that explores art, religion and the struggle to be true to yourself, no matter the cost.