Sonia Levitin’s play, CHAINED, is a new look at a persistent social problem in the Orthodox Jewish community.  The protagonist needs a Get from the husband she’s leaving. He’ll give her one only if she hands over full custody of their 9-year-old son. It’s a fresh take on an old subject; at least I thought it was old but have since found out that many Jews know nothing about the document. It kept me, and the rest of the audience, on the edge of their seats, until the curtain went down. 

Sonia Levitin’s play, Chained, is a cleareyed compassionate look at a difficult issue. She refuses to take sides and instead looks to the human core of her characters and their situation.

The story is compelling. The script is superb.

CHAINED takes you into what appears to be a typical family on the surface. Still, it becomes a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys, leaving you wondering: What will happen next?

The climax of “Chained” is compelling and will leave you breathless and thought-provoking.

“Chained” explores the plight of an Orthodox Jewish woman who finds herself trapped in an impossible marriage. Her husband refuses to touch her but claims he is happy and refuses to grant her a “get” -—the Jewish divorce that would free her to marry again.  The heroine’s worried mother and concerned sister, both secular Jews, cannot understand their beloved’s passionate commitment to a religious lifestyle. Playwright Sonia Levitin writes a provocative family drama about recognizable and relatable people who find it easy to love but hard to understand each other. The staged reading of “Chained” was masterfully presented and every character portrayed with depth, sensitivity and nuance. Hope to see a full production!

Chained is a story about a couple going through a Jewish divorce, where the husband refuses to give a Get until he receives full custody of their child. …A powerful performance, bringing the audience into the turmoil, when finally, the unexpected twist reveals the husband’s reasons…the wife does become unchained.