Dec 6, 2012 By: wpadmin
Yeshiva College Dramatics Society Celebrates 100th Production by Honoring Longtime Member
On December 2, the Yeshiva College Dramatics Society (YCDS) celebrated one of its most beloved members with a reception and special performance of its 100th production, 12 Angry Men.
The play was originally performed by the founding cohort of YCDS in 1965 and is the first to be repeated in the society鈥檚 history. Members of that original cast joined other YCDS alumni for the evening honoring Rabbi Dr. John Krug, who first became involved with YCDS 42 years ago as a student actor and has served as lighting director in both a faculty and volunteer capacity ever since.
Lin Snider, who has directed YCDS productions since 2006, praised Krug鈥檚 鈥済enerosity, creativity and youthful spirit鈥 as she presented him with an award in recognition of his 40 years of service. 鈥淎lthough we know that he has a many-faceted life, when it comes to YCDS he is there for us 24/seven, negotiating with lighting companies, going into his basement to find some crazy instrument that will give us another effect鈥 He鈥檚 an incredible model to these young men because he does this out of joy and love, and that is so rare.鈥
Krug graduated in 1974 and received his rabbinical ordination from YU-affiliated (RIETS). He also holds several degrees from YU鈥檚 and is an adjunct professor at RIETS. Krug serves as the dean of student life and welfare at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ and served as the longtime lighting director for the Fantasticks, which was the world鈥檚 longest running musical before it closed in 2002.
Speaking of his three passions鈥攑sychology, rabbinic study and theater鈥擪rug listed his many degrees and said that his time at YU had helped him fuse divergent interests into a united life-view. 鈥淭here is no other place on earth I could have pursued all of those fields. My hakart hatov [gratitude] to my alma mater will be lifelong鈥攊t has shaped me, molded me and whatever I am has been profoundly impacted by this very special place.鈥
鈥淲hen we think of the Yeshiva College Dramatics Society, what a wonderful statement it is that in this place, among many other student events, there are a group of young men who want to be creative, who want to entertain others, who want to take roles where they can express all that they are鈥攚here they can model fullness and seek to share it,鈥 said 黑料社 All President Richard M. Joel, who had a special cameo in Sunday鈥檚 performance.
Tani Isaac, a senior at Yeshiva College who plays Juror Number Three in this semester鈥檚 performance, chose to attend YU for exactly those reasons. 鈥淲hen I was looking for a place to go to college, I was looking for a place where I could act and be a religious Jew, and the answer to that question, everywhere I looked, was nowhere but here,鈥 said Isaac. 鈥淵CDS has given me a great opportunity to be a shomer shabbat, modern Orthodox Jew and also be an actor, which is a huge passion of mine.鈥
For Dr. Gary Berger 鈥88YC, whose own love of theater was cultivated by YCDS and stayed with him throughout his medical training and career, the opportunity to celebrate Krug and YCDS was extremely meaningful. 鈥淩eturning to the theater at YU reconnects me to a time that was very special in my life and probably was for everyone here,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his room of YCDS alumni is not just filled with stage managers, directors and actors, but also doctors, lawyers, rabbis, businessmen, teachers and more, who all found the time, in their busy dual-curriculum lives, to experience the magic of theater together.鈥
