So, to tell both of those through lines the “Jonathan Safran Foer searching for what happened to his grandfather in the Ukraine during WWII” and the far older family history involving (primarily) the story of Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, (maybe one more) Great Grandma Brod, director and adapter Josh Aaseng, uses a number of theatrical devices and styles to tell the different stories that make up the plot of Everything is Illuminated. Interspersed throughout the book is the story that Jonathan Safran Foer (the character) learns about his ancestors-namely, his great-times-five-or-six grandmother Brod and his grandfather Safran.

Alex’s “blind” grandfather and his dog known as “deranged seeing-eye bitch,” Sammy Davis, Jr., Jr., accompany them on their journey. Alexander studied English at his university, and even though his knowledge of the language is not “first-rate”, he becomes Foer’s translator. Armed with maps, cigarettes and many copies of an old photograph of Augustine and his grandfather, Jonathan begins his search with the help from Ukrainian native and soon-to-be good friend, Alexander “Alex” Perchov, who is Foer’s age and very fond of American pop culture, albeit culture that is already out of date in the United States. Jonathan Safran Foer (the author), a young American Jew and avid collector of his family’s heritage, journeys to Ukraine in search of Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather’s life during the Nazi liquidation of Trachimbrod, his family shtetl (a small Jewish town). Now, I’m pressed for time and also hate writing synopsis so I’m going to totally cheat here and just give you the Wikipedia version of the plot, with some minor edits: Photo by Aaron WheetmanĪnother recent production is also centered on some wartime horror but in the case of Book-It Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s autobiographical-ish novel, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED, the war in question would be World War II and its consequences on the author’s Ukrainian-Jewish family. Peter Sakowicz, Sean Lally, Michael Winters.

Everything is illuminated book review