Mirele Efros, "the Jewish Queen Lear," was the masterpiece of Ukrainian-born Jacob Gordin, an enormously influential Yiddish playwright whose works sought to describe and promulgate the ethos of mentshlekhkeyt: the practice of honesty, decency, and devotion toward family and community. This sophisticated version of his stage classic faithfully recreates Jewish life in turn-of-the-century Grodno, Poland.

The classic conflict between the traditional Jewish way of life, and the modern life of the 20th century comes alive in this story of a young cantor who brings home a future bride, when he has already been betrothed by his parents to someone else!