Broadway Theatre Archive: Zalmen or the Madness Of God

The New York Times has deemed this extraordinary collection to be "the crown jewels of public and network television."

Set in a post-Stalinist Russian synagogue on the eve of an appearance by a Western acting troupe, this play has been described as a cry of anguish about the collective guilt of "the silent." Written after Wiesel's visit to the Soviet Union in 1965, the play also addresses man's need for tradition as well as the futility of gestures. Stars two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest (Hannah and Her Sisters).