World Premier of 'The Blue Violinist Over West End Avenue' Announced

Written by Debbie Goodstein and directed by Jonathan Silverstein, at Theatre Row in NYC October 28 - December 5

Off-Broadway production opens November 1

New York, NY – The Prism Stage Company and Cate Cammarata present the world premiere of The Blue Violinist Over West End Avenue, written by Debbie Goodstein and directed by Jonathan Silverstein, running Off-Broadway October 28 - December 5, 2026 in a limited six-week engagement at Theatre Row (Theatre Five), located at 410 West 42 Street in New York City. Previews begin October 28 for a November 1 opening.

The Stein family gathers on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to celebrate an engagement. But when their youngest son arrives with an unexpected guest, the joyful occasion begins to unravel—revealing old wounds, buried secrets, and divisions that may be impossible to overcome. As a mysterious blue violinist watches over them, three generations must confront what it means to remain a family when the people they love no longer see the world in the same way. Inspired by the spirit of Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye, The Blue Violinist Over West End Avenue is a funny, provocative, and deeply moving new play about family, faith, identity, and the enduring—and sometimes fragile—power of love.

Debbie Goodstein says, “This play comes from a very personal place. My mother survived the Holocaust by hiding in an attic, and I inherited her story along with the belief that hard truths need to be confronted and talked about. With antisemitism on the rise and conversations around Israel becoming increasingly polarized, I wanted to explore how those divisions can enter our own living rooms and affect the people we love most. I’ve loved Fiddler on the Roof since childhood and was inspired by Sholem Aleichem and Tevye’s struggles with family, tradition, and a changing world. The Blue Violinist Over West End Avenue asks many of those same timeless questions: What do we hold on to? Where do we let go? And how do we remain a family when the people we love see the world in completely different ways?”

The design team includes scenic design by Lauren Helpern (4000 Miles at Lincoln Center; Bad Jews at Roundabout), costume design by Jennifer Paar (All the World’s A Stage with Keen Company; As You Like It at The Public), lighting design by David Lander (Broadway: Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song; The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical) and original music and sound design by Daniel Baker (Broadway: The Parisian Woman; Eclipsed).

General Management by Perry Street Theatricals (Martin Platt & Kayleigh Laymon). Shane Schnetzler is Production Stage Manager and Genevieve Dornemann is Assistant Stage Manager. Casting by Judy Bowman. Production Management by Write Act Corp/John Lant. Advertising/Marketing by Table 7 Strategy. Press Representative is David Gibbs/Darr Publicity.

Performances are Tuesdays - Saturdays at 7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. Special opening night show on Sunday, November 1 at 5pm. Run time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission. Tickets are $49 - $99. To purchase tickets and for more info visit https://www.blueviolinistplay.com.

Cast to be announced at a later date.

Debbie Goodstein (Playwright) is an award-winning filmmaker whose work explores family, memory, identity, and how history and events can shape our closest relationships. Her films include the Academy Award-shortlisted and Berlinale award-winning documentary Voices from the Attic, the personal story of her family’s survival in hiding during the Holocaust. The film was later selected for Arsenal, Berlin’s major Holocaust film project and collection, alongside landmark works including Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah. Goodstein also produced Echoes from the Attic, a short companion film and follow-up to the original documentary. She wrote and directed the narrative feature Mighty Fine, starring Chazz Palminteri and Andie MacDowell, which received first prize at Toronto’s Female Eye Film Festival, and co-wrote the Emmy-nominated television movie Saying Kaddish for ABC. Her television work also includes writing and directing the television pilot The Bubbies, picked up by NBC, and the documentary pilot FU Georgia, about an underground school for undocumented immigrants. Goodstein executive produced Dirk and Betty featuring an ensemble cast including Marissa Tomei, and Emma Francis Snyder’s upcoming film Anatomy of a Life, along with the award-winning shorts Black and Urban Myth. She is currently developing Justyna’s Narrative, a documentary feature about the Krakow Ghetto uprising. Before producing her own films, Goodstein worked as a screenwriter and development executive for Siren Pictures and as a writing instructor and New York representative for Writer’s Boot Camp. More recently, she has turned to theater. Her first play, Inconceivable, won first prize at Create Theater’s New Works Festival. Goodstein is a graduate of Brown University and holds an MFA from Columbia University.

Jonathan Silverstein (Director) is an award-winning director and producer. Most recently, he directed Anthony Rapp in Touch, a new play by Kenny Finkle. As Artistic Director at Keen Company (2012-2025), Jonathan produced and directed acclaimed productions such as the world premiere of All the World’s a Stage by Adam Gwon (Off Broadway Alliance Award), the site-specific production of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking starring Kathleen Chalfant (also Long Wharf, Theatre Aspen, and Bay Street Theater), tick, tick... BOOM! (Drama Desk nomination), A Walk in the Woods starring Kathleen Chalfant, Travels with my Aunt, Middle of the Night by Paddy Chayefsky, and many others. Jonathan also directed the award-winning Off Broadway world premiere of Jon Marans’ The Temperamentals produced by Daryl Roth (Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble). Other Off Broadway credits include revivals of Lemon Sky, The Dining Room (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Director; Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble), and Tea and Sympathy. Regional: Long Wharf, Huntington, Old Globe, Merrimack Rep, Buck’s County, Dorset, Cape Rep, Monmouth, and Sledgehammer. Jonathan teaches Directing at The Tepper Semester/Syracuse University and an ongoing scene study class in Manhattan. MFA, UCSD, Drama League fellow. Member, SDC. jonnysilver.com