The Mirror

Isaac Bashevis Singer's The Mirror was written for the Yale Repertory Theater production in 1972-1973. Set in a shtetl in Poland, the play is based on Singer's 1955 story of the same name, originally narrated by the demon. It deals with sexual fantasies born of denial, neglect, and repression, delving into the netherworld to discover that demons are not very different from human beings. The play incorporates one of Singer's esoteric characters, the Jew of Babylon, a miracle worker and exorcist who is swept up into the dark that he battles each day. From the New York Times: "The Mirror . . . is an, erotic and moral fable dramatizing, among other things, the dangers of fulfilling daydreams. . . .The work is full of bizarre absurdities, magic potions, exorcisms and incantations but the author-with his tongue in cheek-never loses sight of humanity. This is Singer in a playful mood.