“…recalls the dark, hallucinatory world of Jerzy Kosinski’s ‘the Painted Bird’ while at the same time surpassing it.” 

— The Washington Post, on Joseph Skibell's novel

“A Blessing on the Moon” is a new music-theater work based on the novel by Joseph Skibell (published by Algonquin Books, 1997) and produced by Animal Stone Productions.

This is a short overview of the project, with some spoken description by composer/writer Andy Teirstein and writer Joseph Skibell. The first part of the piece, "The Color of Poison Berries" received a workshop at the Chutzpah! Festival of the Performing Arts in Vancouver in February, 2012. There was a preview performance at (Le) Poisson Rouge, and a radio spot on WNYC's "SoundCheck" program, also in February. Video footage here is drawn from the Vancouver workshop production in February, 2012, and from the radio interview about the project with John Shaefer on "Sound Check".

The Story

The journey of Chaim Skibelski, who has just been shot dead, and his Rabbi, who is now a crow, as they wander through Poland searching for an afterlife, lends itself easily to the genre of music-theater. Words, music and movement can be expressive of the edges of experience explored in the magical realism of this epic narrative, which contains wry humor, poetry, and a sharp sense of each character's perspective, even extending to the Polish family that has moved into the protagonist’s home, and the German soldier who has shot him.   

“You’ve never read a book like this before—part Holocaust memoir, part ghost story, part Hebrew folklore, part surrealistic road epic.”

— The Bloomsbury Review

"Hardcore folk." That's how Warsaw Village Band describes their rollicking blend of traditional Polish songs, dances and instruments with rock and electronica. Now they're joining forces with NY composer Andy Teirstein for a new music/theater piece.

A talented Musician & Composer based in NYC, Andy is dealing with the Holocaust in his own unique & intriguing way - a new Opera! All that in addition to teaching and playing with excellent Musicians in the States & all over the World. Special thanks to the amazing Keren Naveh for arranging this!

The Music

In keeping with the location and cultural milieu of the libretto, musical interludes for a wordless chorus are drawn from Polish folk roots. The piece is presently scored for a cabaret instrumentation based on the performers of The Warsaw Village Band, as follows:

  • 2 Alto Women’s Voices
  • Violin
  • Cello
  • Tsimbl (hammered dulcimer)
  • Percussion