DEVELOPING, PRODUCING, & PROMOTING Theatre since 2006
WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT
A SHIFT OF OPINION
A NEW PLAY BY VADIM ASTRAKAN
"History never repeats itself, but it often rhymes."
- Mark Twain
The Off Off Broadway Production of a Shift of Opinion by Vadim Astrakan debuted at Theater For the New City on December 2024
Set between 1903 and 1917, A Shift of Opinion brings to life the untold true story of Jacob Schiff, a Jewish-American financier and philanthropist, as he secretly funds the downfall of the Russian Empire in retribution for its brutal treatment of Jewish communities. Joining Schiff on stage are historical giants like President Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and William Hearst, each wrestling with issues of morality, nationalism, and philanthropy that remain strikingly relevant today.
Inspired by true events, this one-act play takes audiences on a journey into the past while raising questions about our present. A Shift of Opinion examines the challenges of loyalty and identity faced by immigrants, the moral responsibilities of wealth, and the complexities of activism.
Letter from Playwright Vadim Astrakhan
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Dear Friends:​
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I came across Jacob Schiff’s story several years ago. It caught my attention, and I remembered it in the aftermath of the 10/07/23 massacre. Then I saw Mark Twain’s essay “Concerning the Jews” that circulated on social media. It occurred to me that Jacob Schiff and Mark Twain were contemporaries. I delved deeper into that period. The book “American Voices on Kishinev” that I found online opened my eyes to the effects of the pogroms on the American society. Giants of American history started coming to life, and everything came together: Russia’s “little victorious war” that turned into a humiliating defeat, Jewish massacres, American anti-immigration sentiments, and Schiff’s drift from the idea of “American Zion” to mainstream Zionism. All of this seemed exceedingly relevant to today’s events, as if they had already happened in the past, and we are now re-living their echoes.​
The bulk of the play was written in a fury of creativity last April. Then more and more relevant pieces surfaced in my consciousness. Leo Tolstoy’s 1905 essay and Bulat Okujava’s 1973 song seemed to describe today’s events and fit very nicely with Schiff’s story. Then I was suggested the character of Bella Greene (based on Belle DaCosta Greene, J. P. Morgan’s librarian). The play received a finished look.​
Out of 14 characters, 13 (except Nathan) existed in real life. Many of their remarks are taken from their letters and public statements. I don’t know if any of them actually met in real life but they very well could have. “A Shift of Opinion” is not a true biopic but rather a fantasy that’s based on true events: a history lesson that feels like today’s newsreel.
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- Vadim Astrakhan | December 2024
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Sell out audiences at the end of the run were
left wanting more... and our plan is to bring this story back to the stage in 2027 with a full production!
With the first round of funding ($10,000 - $13,000) we will begin build our pre-production team, hire a General Manager, create a full production budget, and begin the process of building awareness in this important project.
A full budget of $300K - $500K will be our eventual goal.
Character Breakdown​
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Jacob Schiff. A Jewish-American banker, industrialist, and philanthropist. A brilliant mind; a strong, dominant man, who, nevertheless, treats all Jewish people as his family and gives enormous amounts of money to various charity causes (anonymously). Possessed by the idea of bringing down the Russian Empire. Stubborn, headstrong, and a man of his word. Knows everything, loves to be in control, but capable of very strong emotions. Middle-aged in the beginning, slightly older in the end.
Teddy Roosevelt. An American President. A man of ultimate power but still a nice fellow. Sympathizes with Schiff’s plight but doesn’t want to do anything rash. A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the Russo-Japanese Peace Treaty of Portsmouth, NH. Strong middle-aged man.
Takahashi. A Japanese banker. Proper, respectful, and grateful to Schiff for all the help he’s given to his country. Much like his countrymen, reluctant to show emotion. Middle-aged.
M4: Nathan. A hospital director. Schiff’s friend and a Zionist. Young and enthusiastic in the beginning, older towards the end.
Cassini. A Russian ambassador. A visual representation of the Russian state bureaucracy. Pompous and haughty.
M5: William Hearst. A media mogul and the king of the yellow press. A lot like Roosevelt. Helps Schiff because it might benefit his media empire. Sympathetic but sarcastic. Very cerebral, always in control.
Leo Tolstoy. A famous Russian writer. Known for his novels (“War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”) but always at odds with the government (even was excommunicated from the Church). Strongly criticizes the Russo-Japanese War and writes a scathing essay “Come to Your Senses!” A thundering voice, a Biblical prophet. An old man with a massive beard.
Mark Twain. A famous American writer. Known for many literary classics (“Tom Sawyer,” “Huck Finn,” etc.). An old, white-haired, loud, effervescent man, full of ideas and of himself.
Minister Plehve (pronounced “PLEH-veh”). A conservative Russian politician. Another representation of the Russian state bureaucracy. Strongly troubled by Schiff’s actions. Widely blamed for the Jewish pogroms in Russia. Assassinated by a revolutionary (nobody sheds a tear).
O. Henry. A famous American writer and a drunk. Famous for his wisecracks. Middle-aged.
M7. Minister Witte (pronounced “VIT-teh”). Another conservative Russian politician. Different from Plehve in looks but similar in demeanor and message.
Jack London. A famous American writer and a journalist. Known for his novels (“Call of the Wild,” “White Fang” and short stories about Alaska). A bruiser who always gets in trouble. A sharp and likable chap in his twenties.
Albert Johnson. An American Congressman. Ultra-conservative, a nativist to the core, a believer in the “Old Stock Hegemony,” strongly anti-immigrant and antisemitic, a precursor to the Nazis. Speaks with arrogance and disdain. Middle-aged.
Bella Greene. A librarian. A young black woman, well-educated but deeply religious. Serves as a voice of humanity and empathy in the world of powerful men but also a voice of History. Middle-aged towards the end.
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About Vadim Astrakhan
VADIM ASTRAKHAN (Playwright, Executive Producer)
Vadim was born in Leningrad, USSR (presently St. Petersburg, Russia) and immigrated to the United States in 1991 as a teenager. He grew up in Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan, and later moved to New York and received a Master’s degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a poetry translator and a performer. He released four albums of translations (2008, 2012, 2014, and 2017) as part of his Vysotsky in English project (www.vvinenglish.com), where he translated, performed, and recorded songs by the greatest Russian singer-songwriter, Vladimir Vysotsky. He also has played many shows worldwide and recorded numerous music videos. In recent years, he expanded his interests to film and theater. He made a short bilingual film Cloud in Pants (2019), based on his own translation of a famous eponymous Russian poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky. He also produced a TV play Faust and Helena (2022) based on his translation of Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. A Shift of Opinion is his first original play. He also is a lead singer in a rock’n’roll band Sentinel Soto. His main profession is forensic chemistry. He also organized and participated in several fundraising events for Ukraine.
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